Miller, Coors merger could mean more beer, more local jobs
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
TRENTON — Beer fans shouldn't worry: the newly merged MillerCoors Corp. will still brew those Keytone Lights and Miller Genuine Draft.
"There is no plan to discontinue any beer," said Julian Green, a spokesperson for the company.
SABMiller PLC and Molson Coors Brewing Co. have combined their U.S. and Puerto Rico operations to launch MillerCoors, which began operations Tuesday, July 1.
MillerCoors will enjoy the benefits of a combined group of brands, led by Miller Lite and Coors Light, and a plan to cut costs by $500 million annually, company officials said.
That will help the new company, with $7 billion in annual sales and a 29 percent market share, better compete with Anheuser-Busch, which dominates the domestic beer market with a 48 percent share.
Following the merger, the two companies will integrate operations and their network of eight breweries — six owned by Miller and two by Coors, according to a release.
It will take roughly 18 to 24 months to fully combine, after which seven of the breweries will produce both lines of beer.
"We'll be producing more beer," Green said.
That increase in production could translate to more jobs at the Trenton facility — which already is one of the largest breweries in the state with 650 employees — but Green said it is too early for specifics.
MillerCoors already is advertising two positions for Trenton at www.millercoors.com, though Green insists the posts are not related to the merger.
The plants will begin to undergo enhancements in the coming months.
Miller, based in Milwaukee, and Molson Coors, based in Golden, Colo., announced in October they would form MillerCoors to market and distribute their beers in the United States and Puerto Rico.




Get latest headlines via RSS feeds