For the first time, more craft beer breweries are shutting down than opening up, according to the Brewers Association.
Anheuser-Busch is selling its decades-old New Jersey brewery and is closing two others in California and New Hampshire as part of a broader strategy to optimize production.
The Anheuser-Busch brewery in Newark, New Jersey, which opened in 1951 and is one of the company’s longest-running facilities, will be sold to the Goodman Group in 2026. Its Fairfield, California, and Merrimack, New Hampshire, facilities will close in early 2026.
The company plans to shift production from these three facilities to its other U.S. facilities, enabling the company “to invest even more in our remaining operations and in our portfolio of growing, industry-leading brands,” the spokesperson said.
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The Anheuser-Busch brewery in Newark, New Jersey opened in 1951 and is one of the company’s longest-running facilities. (Daniel Barry/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
An Anheuser-Busch spokesperson said the company has been taking steps to modernize its U.S. manufacturing operations over the past five years to meet demand, which includes investing nearly $2 billion in its 100 facilities across the country.
In May, the beer maker told FOX Business that it was investing $300 million in its facilities across the U.S. to bolster manufacturing jobs across the U.S. while also supporting veterans who are pursuing manufacturing careers.
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Anheuser-Busch said it will help relocate the 475 full-time employees currently working at these three facilities. Each of them will be offered a full-time role “elsewhere in U.S. operations,” the spokesperson said. The company didn’t specify where, but the employees will get relocation stipends and new location skills training.
The company plans to shift production from these three facilities to its other U.S. facilities. (Alex Tai/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Employees that don’t accept the transfer offer will be given severance packages and other resources.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BUD | ANHEUSER-BUSCH INBEV | 62.25 | +1.81 | +2.99% |
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Anheuser-Busch operates more than 100 facilities across the country. A source familiar with the matter said these changes aren’t an indication of product performance and won’t impact the availability of its product.