Owner may sell Latrobe Brewing Co.

InBev USA, parent of Latrobe Brewing Co., brewer of Rolling Rock and Rock Green Light beers, said it is exploring options concerning the future of the Westmoreland County brewery - one of which could be a sale.

InBev USA officials said the company made a "strategic decision" last year to focus sales and marketing resources on its high-profit specialty import brands, including Stella Artois, Bass Pale Ale, Beck's, Brahma and Labatt Blue. InBev USA is a unit of Belgium-based InBev NV, the world's third-largest brewer.

Rolling Rock was not included on the list of top brands.

"The company has started examining opportunities, both inside and outside InBev, to determine how to optimize the full potential of Rolling Rock and the Latrobe Brewing Company," said Brenda Williams, spokeswoman for InBev USA, based in Norwalk, Conn.

Williams said no decisions have been made at this time, and the company believes Latrobe Brewing and Rolling Rock hold "great potential for future growth."

So where does that leave the local brewery?

"The company is looking to optimize the potential of the brand. ... We're looking at different options. We'll take it one step at a time and see what happens," said Mario Leduc, manager of the Latrobe plant. He was named to the post in February 2005.

"There's something going on. InBev is a big company, they may keep us, or they may sell the brewery. We'll just have to wait and see," said George Sharkey, business agent for Local 144B of the International Union of Electronics Workers/Communications Workers of America.

Sharkey said it's been business as usual at Latrobe Brewing. "Things seem to be OK. Latrobe Brewing would be profitable for anybody to take over. I don't know what's going to happen."

Latrobe Brewing employs about 200 workers. In August, unionized bottlers and brewers ratified a six-year contract.

If Latrobe Brewing is sold, one possible buyer could be the Boston Beer Co. Inc., brewer of Samuel Adams beers.

"We're always evaluating business options, but I can't comment on specific breweries," said Michelle Sullivan, spokeswoman for Boston Beer, based in Boston.

Sullivan said the company last year invested more than $11 million in the Cincinnati Brewery to expand the facility and increase efficiency.

Leduc said Latrobe Brewing churned out 852,000 barrels of beer in 2005. This year, the plant expects to produce 755,000 barrels. Leduc said the brewery has the capacity to produce 1.3 million barrels, due in large part to a high-capacity bottling system introduced in February 2003.