Layoffs

Industry headwinds, brewery acquisitions, the emerging cannabis sector, and the seemingly never ending battle between big and small beer makers were the focus of Brewbound’s most-read stories of 2018.

Oregon’s Deschutes Brewery laid off dozens of employees last week, citing missed growth projections. Speaking to Brewbound, Deschutes Brewery president and CEO Michael LaLonde said the company cut about seven percent of its workforce on Thursday. Affected positions came from sales, marketing and operations.

Anheuser-Busch InBev has eliminated nearly 40 jobs across North America, Brewbound has learned. In a statement issued last Friday, A-B said it was making “a limited number of targeted changes” to its North American “supply organization.”

Citing a “challenging” craft beer market, California’s Lagunitas Brewing said Tuesday that it would slash 12 percent of its workforce in a move that will impact at least 100 employees. The announcement comes about 17 months after Heineken International completed its purchase of the Petaluma-headquartered craft brewery.