Anheuser-Busch buys Loveland-based American Eagle Distributing

LOVELAND — Anheuser-Busch has purchased American Eagle Distributing as part of a transaction spurred by a new law passed by the Kentucky Legislature.

The purchase of the Loveland-based beer distributor comes as A-B also transferred ownership of the two distributorships it owned in Kentucky – in Louisville and Owensboro – to Odessa, Texas-based Standard Sales Co. In exchange, Standard transferred distributorships it owned in Littleton, Colorado Springs and Pueblo to American Eagle.

Jerry Helgeson, president of American Eagle, was unavailable for comment Wednesday.

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According to a media release from Belgium-based Anheuser-Busch InBev, which has its North American headquarters in St. Louis and a brewery in Larimer County, the American Eagle deal is expected to close in September and the Standard Sales transaction is to be finalized in October. Terms of the transactions were not disclosed, but according to public records Anheuser paid American Eagle $12.3 million for the land and building at 3800 Clydesdale Parkway in Loveland.

A-B’s Kentucky distributing license expires Oct. 31 and cannot be renewed because Kentucky lawmakers passed House Bill 168, which bans beer producers from owning distributorships. The ban had been sought by the Kentucky Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control to avoid monopolies by separating breweries, distributors and retailers. Colorado law includes no such ban.

“After a significant evaluation of options, we agreed to exchange territory with Standard Sales as the best path forward for our employees and operations in Kentucky, where we can no longer own a distributorship,” said Bob Tallett, vice president of business and wholesaler development for Anheuser-Busch, in a media release. “We are pleased that Standard Sales expressed interest in a mutually-beneficial agreement and we look forward to having our employees in Kentucky meet with them soon.”

Editor’s note: Story updated Oct. 8, 2015 with sale price for land and building.