Agreement builds upon successful 25-year relationship
Craft Brew Alliance, a Portland–based brewing company that creates world-class craft beers, and Anheuser-Busch (A-B) jointly announced an agreement to expand their partnership, with A-B agreeing to purchase the remaining CBA shares it does not already own in a merger transaction for $16.50 per share, in cash.
The vast majority of CBA’s brands are already distributed through A-B’s network of independent wholesalers per the companies’ existing commercial agreement.
CBA would join A-B’s high-performing Brewers Collective – a collection of craft partners spread throughout the country committed to providing consumers with innovative, quality beers and investing in their local communities. In the last three years alone, A-B has invested more than $130 million in its craft partners, allowing them to expand their production volume by an average of 31 percent. A-B’s craft partners have created nearly 1,000 new jobs in their home communities to support their growing breweries.
“The beer industry in the U.S. is competitive and dynamic, with more choices available to consumers than ever before,” said Marcelo “Mika” Michaelis, president, Brewers Collective, Anheuser-Busch. “CBA’s diverse portfolio of regional breweries and innovative lifestyle brands is an excellent complement to our family of craft partners and would continue to help fuel the growth of the craft beer category.”
A-B currently owns a 31.2 percent stake in CBA and has offered $16.50 in cash for the remaining shares.