Anheuser-Bush to expand partnership with Craft Brew Alliance
Craft Brew Alliance (CBA), Portland, Ore., announced an expanded partnership with Anheuser-Busch (A-B), a subsidiary of Leuven, Belgium-based Anheuser-Busch InBev, wherein A-B will purchase CBA shares it does not already own for $16.50 a share, in cash, in a merger transaction. A-B currently owns a 31.2 percent stake in CBA, and a vast majority of its brands already are distributed through A-B’s network of independent wholesalers through the companies’ existing commercial agreement.
“[This] announcement represents an exciting next step in a long and successful partnership with Anheuser-Busch, whose support for the growth of our business and brands traces back over 25 years,” said Andy Thomas, chief executive officer of CBA, in a statement. “By combining our resources, our talented teammates, and dynamic brands, we will look to nurture the growth of CBA’s existing portfolio as we continue investing in innovation to meet the changing needs of today’s beverage consumers, all while delivering certainty of value to our shareholders.”