The long-term future of Genesee Brewing is uncertain with parent company FIFCO being sold to Heineken for $3.2 billion.
FIFCO announced this week that it has agreed to sell its beverage, food, and retail businesses in Central America and Mexico. But the deal expressly leaves out FIFCO USA based in Rochester.
That’s “not the part we’re interested in,” Heineken CEO Dolf van den Brink told investors this week, as reported by the trade publication Beer Marketer’s Insights.
“Our strategy in the U.S. is focused on premium, and we have no interest in getting exposure to the mainstream segment in the U.S.,” he said.
The local brewery — producing such brands as Genesee, Labatt and Seagram's Escapes — is one of the largest in the nation and has seen significant investment in recent years. But beer sales have been sliding in the U.S. and Europe, with FIFCO USA down more than 12% year to date.
The deal with Heineken is expected to close early next year. In a statement, Costa Rican-based FIFCO said the Rochester operation will continue, “business as usual, with no immediate changes expected.”
In a letter to wholesaler partners reported by trade publication Beer Business Daily, FIFCO leadership used phrases like “actively exploring opportunities” and spoke of seeking out “strategic alliances” and integrating the Rochester facility into a broader ecosystem.
Asked to elaborate, a company spokesperson said they would have no further comment at this time.
