Molson Coors to shut down Leinenkugel's brewery in Chippewa Falls, nearly 100 employees affected

 

CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Nearly 150 years of brewing tradition in the Chippewa Valley is ending, after Molson Coors announced Wednesday that they are planning to shut down the Leinenkugel hotspot.

The 10th Street Brewery in Milwaukee will also be forced to close.

According to the Wisconsin Department of Defense Workforce, 90 employees will be impacted, with layoffs beginning Jan. 17, 2025.

Brian Erhardt, the chief supply chain officer for Molson Coors, sent CBS 58 this statement:

Following the end of a large contract brewing agreement and amid an ongoing canning line investment project at our Milwaukee brewery, we’ve made the decision to close two of our smaller brewing operations in Wisconsin and centralize statewide production at our main site in Milwaukee. While never easy, these choices are made with much thought and consideration to position Molson Coors for continued success in Wisconsin and beyond.

Erhardt also noted that Leinie's Summer Shandy and others will "continue to play a role in our premiumization plans" with the Leinie Lodge and adjacent pilot brewery continuing to stay open year-round. 

Bill O'Connell, a part-time bartender at Leinie Lodge, created a Change.org petition to stop the closures which garnered more than 500 signatures overnight.

"Leinie's brand has been a part of my family for probably 45, 50 years, because my dad worked there for 45 years," O'Connell told CBS 58. "I just can't sit here and just let Molson Coors just take away without a voice."

O'Connell said the decision to close leaves him "frustrated and confused."

"I'm still upset because you're taking away something from Chippewa that is Chippewa Falls," O'Connell said. "Maybe they're saving money. Maybe it's good for the books. But is it good for triple falls? Is it good for Wisconsin? What is good for the Leinenkugel brand?"

Teamsters Local 200 and 662, who represent some of the facility employees, sent CBS 58 this statement which reads in full:

"It is a tragedy that Molson Coors wants to close the doors on these breweries, which have been a point of pride in Wisconsin for decades. The Teamsters are doing everything in our power to fight for and protect our members’ rights."

The Leinenkugel family brewery was founded in Chippewa Falls in May 1867.