Dick and Jake Leinenkugel have gone public with their efforts to buy back their family’s namesake brewery in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, from Molson Coors, which plans to cease operations at the facility on Friday, January 17, and lay off 56 workers.
In a LinkedIn post Wednesday, the Leinenkugels detailed their attempts to open talks with Molson Coors CEO Gavin Hattersley, who they said has thus far rebuffed their efforts.
The Leinenkugels said they submitted a formal proposal to Molson Coors asking the company to engage in a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) to kick off discussions about acquiring the brewery “with the goal of maintaining its operations under Leinenkugel family leadership.” The family sold the brewery in 1988 to Miller Brewing Company.
That request was declined in a January 6 reply from Hattersley, who stated the company remains “fully committed to the Leinenkugel’s brand.”
“While we appreciate Gavin’s affirmation of the brand’s importance, we believe that true commitment must include preserving the Chippewa Falls brewery and the livelihoods of those who depend on it,” the Leinenkugels wrote.
A follow-up request on January 8 was left unanswered as of January 15. The Leinenkugels wrote that they “remain optimistic that Molson Coors’ leadership will reconsider our proposal and engage in meaningful discussions about safeguarding this important part of our heritage.”
Speaking to Brewbound, Dick Leinenkugel said the family is still attempting to get Molson Coors to to the table to entertain a discussion of “the art of the possible, whether that would just be the physical brewery itself and the brewing assets, or perhaps a larger discussion about IP and trademarks to include the Leinenkugel’s brand.”
“At this point, they haven’t indicated a willingness to sit down and discuss anything,” he said, admitting that Molson Coors “really hold[s] all the cards.”
“It’s really in their court to indicate to us that they’d like to have a conversation with us,” he continued. “They own the breweries. They own the assets. There’s nothing else we can do except hope that they want to engage in a conversation with us.”
Nevertheless, Dick Leinenkugel said he and Jake “are willing to consider every option to keep the brewery operating in Chippewa Falls and restore the legacy of our family and to restore the brewing legacy that’s been in Chippewa Falls since our great-great-grandfather established the brewery in 1867.”
In a statement shared with Brewbound, Molson Coors chief communications officer Adam Collins said “Leinenkugel’s has been an important part of our company for nearly 40 years and that’s not changing.”
“Our pilot brewery will continue serving as an innovation hub, and the Leinie Lodge will continue to be a gathering place for locals and out-of-towners to enjoy their favorite beers and one-of-a-kind varieties available only at the Lodge,” he added. “We’re incredibly proud of Leinie’s, the many people in Chippewa Falls who built this brand into what it is today, and what it will continue to be for years to come – a true Wisconsin beer beloved by people across the country.”
The Leinie Lodge is the brewery’s taproom and 7-barrel pilot brewery, along with a gift shop and tourism center. Dick Leinenkugel said the location draws around 125,000 visitors annually to the Chippewa Valley.
Last week, members of the Leinenkugel family, including Dick, Jack, John and their nephew, Tony Bugher, who is president of Leinenkugel’s, attended a gathering at the Lodge with current and retired employees.
“We had a fabulous turnout,” Dick Leinenkugel told Brewbound. “It was kind of a surreal event in that it felt almost like a funeral wake.
“It wasn’t a joyous occasion by any means, but people wanted to get together, and hopefully not pay their last respects to Leinenkugel’s, but to pay their respects to the family and the brewery and co-workers who have been there for many, many years.”
Molson Coors announced plans to shift the remaining large-scale production of Leinenkugel’s beer to Milwaukee on November 7. At the time, Dick Leinenkugel said the family was not consulted about the moves, leaving them “surprised” and “disappointed.”
Although Molson Coors expressed a commitment to the Leinenkugel’s brand, Dick Leinenkugel questioned what that commitment looks like going forward and what its portfolio looks like once production moves to Milwaukee.
“That brewery isn’t set up to brew … Leinenkugel’s Dark Lager or Leinenkugel’s Northwoods Amber or Leinenkugel’s Honey Weiss or Leinenkugel’s Light – brands that are of a smaller scale, yet are important to our retailers and our distributors in markets in Wisconsin and Minnesota,” he said.
The Chippewa Falls brewery is equipped to profitably produce those beers, Dick Leinenkugel said before floating the idea of Molson Coors “licensing the Leinenkugel brand back or even contracting with a new entity to brew those brands in Chippewa Falls.”
“Wouldn’t that be interesting?” he said.