Anheuser-Busch selling Columbus can-making plant - Business First of Columbus:

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Atkinson, Wis.; and Gainesville, Fla.; for $577 The plants included in the deal employ 635 168 of whom are in and they’ll be offered employment after the deal closes, the companieas said. The Columbus can-making plant is locatedr on the east side of the city at 350McCormicl Blvd., about 16 miles away from Anheuser-Busch’s 900-worker nortgh Columbus brewery, a company representative said. Anheuser-Buscnh InBev said the divested plants as a group are more focusedon soft-drino can production. They’re operated by the company’s can-makintg subsidiary, Ball has agreed to supply the brewer with cans and lids from thedivestec plants.
A-B InBev said its seven remainint metal beverage can and lid manufacturinyg plants will be more focusedon beer-caj production and represent more than 60 percent of its currenf capacity. The company said no plans are under way to sell theremaininfg plants. The deal is expectexd to close at the end of the year or earltyin 2010, and is Anheuser-Buschh InBev’s latest effort to help pay off debt tied to Belgiam brewer InBev’s $52 billion acquisition of St. Louis brewinv icon last year.
“The sale of this group of soft drinks-focuserd plants represents another step in ourdeleveraginyg program, allowing us to rationalize capitaol while retaining those facilities that remain most relevan t to our beer CEO Carlos Brito said in a statement.