NEW YORK - JUNE 13: A bottle of Budweiser is displayed at a bar June 13, 2008 in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
FAIRFIELD, Calif. - Anheuser-Busch announced on Thursday that it would close its Budweiser plant in Fairfield.
What they're saying:
Fairfield City Manager David Gassaway said in an email to city council members that Anheuser-Busch would be closing the plant in early 2026, with no specific date given.
The Fairfield location is one of three across the country that the brewing company is planning to shutter, with the other two being located in New Jersey and New Hampshire.
"The impacts for us will be loss of local employment and impact to our water utility operations and revenue," Gassaway said. "I requested that they put me in touch with their real estate team so that we can promptly get to work on trying to find a potential reuse for the site."
He added that he believed such a project would likely be difficult due to the "large and highly specialized nature of the facility."
The other side:
Anheuser-Busch said in a statement that the decision to close the facilities came after a five-year process of the company updating and modernizing its manufacturing in the United States.
The functions performed by the three facilities will be spread out to other plants across the country.
"These changes will enable us to invest even more in our remaining operations and in our portfolio of growing, industry-leading brands," Anheuser-Busch said.
The brewing company added that 475 employees currently working full-time across the three closing facilities will be offered jobs at other plants in the country. Those who opt against moving to another plant will instead be offered a severance package "and other resources."