AB-InBev’s sale of two breweries falls through

The financial investor CK Corporate Finance was to take over two regional breweries – Diebels and Hasseröder – from AB-InBev. The sale was announced in January 2018 and was to be completed by June. However, as was announced on 2 July 2018, the one-man outfit from Kronberg near Frankfurt has been unable to fulfil his contractual obligations. Read: the investor Daniel Deistler probably could not cough up the money, estimated at less than EUR 200 million for the two breweries, whose combined beer output is around two million hl.

Allegedly, in order to get rid of its struggling units, AB-InBev has twice reduced the asking price since January and even agreed to hedge part of the financing by CK Corporate Finance.

Therefore, the deal will not go ahead as planned. AB-InBev has said it will reopen negotiations with other interested parties. At this stage a management buy-out looks most likely. Hasseröder and Diebels’ staff (450 in total) have already been informed about the new situation.