As part of its January 2020 restructuring, Molson Coors Beverage Company made the decision to consolidate corporate functions of its Milwaukee and Denver offices. Thanks to Wisconsin’s welcoming business climate and long history of food and beverage production excellence, the company ultimately chose to expand its Milwaukee operations and close its Denver office.
“This is great news for Milwaukee and for Wisconsin,” said Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers. “Molson Coors—and its predecessor, Miller Brewing—have been part of Wisconsin’s history for nearly 165 years. With this agreement, we can look forward to keeping another iconic Wisconsin business in our state for many years to come.”
Milwaukee’s reputation as “Beer Capital of the World” began in the mid-1800s, when the city was home to more than two dozen breweries, including Miller. Molson Coors acquired full ownership of the Miller brand in 2006. As one of the world’s largest brewers, Molson Coors also produces Coors Light, Coors Banquet, Blue Moon, Leinenkugel’s and several dozen other beer brands around the globe.
Molson Coors’ U.S. headquarters is in Chicago, with many of its administrative functions now housed at the Molson Coors Corporate Center in Milwaukee. Molson Coors currently employs a total of 1,290 full-time workers in Wisconsin. The decision to remain in Milwaukee kept 540 corporate jobs in Wisconsin; the company plans to add 377 new positions there over the next few years. It also plans to invest $2.8 million in renovating the corporate center and $14.8 million to add a production line at the adjacent Miller Brewery.
With the designation of the Molson Coors Corporate Center as a state Enterprise Zone, WEDC was as able to authorize up to $25 million in tax credits over eight years, contingent on the number of jobs retained, jobs created and capital invested at the Molson Coors Corporate Center.
WEDC Secretary and CEO Missy Hughes said the state is pleased to assist the company with its expansion in Milwaukee.
“Molson Coors’ decision to move forward with this project during these challenging times is a testament to Wisconsin’s ‘can-do’ spirit. This is not just great news for Milwaukee and for Wisconsin – it reinforces our state’s leadership as home to the nation’s top breweries and as a national leader in the food and beverage industry.”
“We have been brewing our iconic beers here for 165 years, and today our future looks brighter than ever,” said Gavin Hattersley, CEO of Molson Coors. “Because of the hard work of Governor Evers and Secretary Hughes we are able to bring more jobs and more investment to Wisconsin, and I want to thank them for their tremendous partnership.”
Wisconsin’s central location and robust infrastructure provides companies located here with easy access to major markets throughout the U.S. and beyond. The state is home to roughly 1,400 food and beverage manufacturers and is a leader in food processing equipment manufacturing. It is also home to The Water Council and the University of Wisconsin’s School of Freshwater Sciences, two innovative organizations that are the only ones of their kind in the nation.
