Tilray Brands has restructured its workforce and cut “a limited number of employees across various departments,” the company confirmed to Brewbound.
Tilray shared the following statement with Brewbound:
“As the Tilray Beverages team continues to evolve and grow, we identified areas where duplication of work exists within our organization. In order to streamline our operations, we have made the difficult decision to restructure our workforce and reallocate resources accordingly.
“As a result, we implemented a reduction in force that impacted a limited number of employees across various departments. This decision was not taken lightly, and we are committed to supporting those affected by these changes through this transition.
“We appreciate the dedication and hard work of our employees and are confident that these changes have helped us continue to serve our customers and achieve our long-term goals.”
Tilray did not answer direct questions about specific breweries or positions affected by the layoffs or the number of people impacted.
Brewbound heard of job cuts at 10 Barrel Brewing Wednesday that included members of the brewery’s innovation team. Tilray declined to confirm those details.
UPDATE: The New School reported that 10 Barrel founders Chris and Jeremy Cox tendered their resignations from the brewery last week.
Although the extent of the layoffs at 10 Barrel are not fully public, the New School reported that the layoffs included Jimmy Seifrit, Ian Larkin, Shawn Kelso and Tonya Cornett.
The Brewers Association awarded Cornett the Russell Schehrer Award for Innovation in Craft Brewing during this past April’s Craft Brewers Conference in Las Vegas. Cornett’s beers have received numerous competition medals throughout the years, including 28 medals in the Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup. That doesn’t include 10 Barrel’s 2024 clean sweep of the German-style Sour Ale category during the 2024 GABF competition.
Cornett became the first woman to win the World Beer Cup small brewpub brewer of the year in 2008. She joined 10 Barrel in 2012 as senior innovation brewer, after leading brewing operations at Bend Brewing Company in Oregon.
The job cuts follow Tilray’s latest acquisition of craft beer brands from a global brewery, this time from Molson Coors. Tilray picked up Hop Valley Brewing, Revolver Brewing and Terrapin Beer Co. in a deal that closed at the end of August. The company is expected to close on a fourth brand, Atwater Brewery, later this month, a company spokesperson told Brewbound.
Last year, Tilray acquired eight craft beverage brands from Anheuser-Busch InBev for $83.4 million. Those brands included Shock Top, Breckenridge Brewery, Blue Point Brewing, 10 Barrel Brewing, Redhook, Widmer Brothers, Square Mile Cider and HiBall Energy.
The company’s previous craft beer acquisitions included: SweetWater Brewing, Montauk Brewing, Alpine Beer Co. and Green Flash Brewing. The company’s beverage portfolio also includes Breckenridge Distillery and Happy Flower CBD, as well as several new-to-world brands.
The acquisitions have made Tilray the fifth-largest craft brewery in the U.S. with volume expected to top 1 million barrels.