IRWINDALE (CNS) - The Coors brewery in Irwindale, a familiar site to so many Southern California motorists on the 210 Freeway, is closing its doors.
The Denver-based Molson Coors Beverage Company on Monday announced plans to cease production at the facility by September 2020, adding that they have entered into an agreement with Pabst Brewing Co. which gives that company an option to purchase the site, located at 15801 W. First St.
“This move will allow us to optimize our brewery footprint while streamlining our operations for greater efficiency across the network,” said Brian Erhardt, chief integrated supply chain officer. “While it was a very difficult decision, we have extra capacity in our system and Irwindale's production can be absorbed by other breweries in our network.”
The brewery, which opened in 1980, employs about 470 people and produced 4.8 million barrels, shipped to 261 independent distributors in 2019, according to the company. Brands produced at the site include Miller Lite, Coors Light, Miller High Life, MGD, Steel Reserve, Miller 64 and several brands for Pabst.
Over the next nine months, products currently produced in Irwindale will be transitioned to other breweries, primarily in Golden, Colo., and Fort Worth, Texas.
Photo: Getty Images