Area reaps rewards of huge A-B plant

FORT COLLINS – Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc.’s entry into the Fort Collins community didn’t exactly go down like a cold beer.

Although many people supported the brewery’s decision to build a new plant locally, others expressed a variety of concerns that could have caused the entire project to go flat.

Today, the brewery stands as one of Northern Colorado’s largest employers, with annual payroll of $38 million. That includes an hourly wage of $20.25 as set by contract with the Teamsters Union Local 267, to which 540 of the plant’s 715 employees belong.

Additionally, the plant pumps $28 million in annual income and property…