The Molson Coors Beverage Company said that it will shut down a more than 150-year-old Wisconsin brewery early next year.
The Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company in Chippewa Falls, which has been in operation since 1857, will close up shop on January 17, 2025. The plant reportedly employs about 120 people and produces around 185,000 barrels of beer per year.
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In a statement obtained by WTMJ, Molson Coors Chief Supply Chain Officer Brian Erhardt said the decision to shutter the historic brewery comes at the end of a large contract brewing agreement and amid an ongoing canning line investment project at the company’s Milwaukee brewery. He said the company is closing two of its smaller brewing operations in Wisconsin. According to WTMJ, the other facility impacted is the Leinenkugel’s 10th Street brewery in Milwaukee.
Erhardt said, “Ever since Leinenkugel’s joined Miller Brewing in 1988, the brand and Chippewa Falls have been a cherished part of our company and culture. That’s not changing. Leinie’s Summer Shandy and the rest of the portfolio will continue to play a role in our premiumization plans, and the Leinie Lodge and adjacent pilot brewery will remain open year-round for guests to enjoy and experience the Leinenkugel’s beers and history.”
The news apparently came as a surprise to Former President of the Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company Dick Leinenkugel, who told WTMJ that none of his family members were made aware of the decision ahead of time.
“I know the Molson Coors leaders don’t take these decisions lightly. It’s clear to me that they determined that the savings resulting from the closure were significant enough to justify this difficult decision,” he said in a statement.
Molson Coors’ plans to close two of its brewing facilities were shared on the eve of the company’s third-quarter earnings report, which was marked by a 7.8% decline in net sales. The company blamed the slowdown of its U.S. sales on the “macroeconomic environment along with anticipated unfavorable shipment timing and the wind down of a contract brewing agreement.”
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