It's done. SABMiller plc and Molson Coors Brewing Co.
closed the deal to combine their U.S. and Puerto Rican operations to create MillerCoors. On July 1, the new joint venture will begin operations.
Leading the charge are CEO Leo Kiely and Tom Long, president and chief commercial officer. Tim Wolf is heading the integration and will work closely with Kevin Self, vice president of integration and synergies, and Scott Whitley, VP of integration planning.
At barbecues and picnics over the summer, keep an eye out for better distribution of Coors Light. If you see an uptick in silver bullets, you'll know that one of the
premises of the deal is paying off, and that MillerCoors may have good news on Nov. 5 as it reports its first ever financial results.
Of course, it's a tough battle for share in the U.S. beer market. MillerCoors may find it getting even tougher if InBev SA succeeds in its
$46.3 billion bid for Anheuer-Busch Cos. But for now, the JV has the luxury of launching at a moment when archrival Bud may be distracted by the possibility of a
hostile takeover.
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Baz HiralalSee the MillerCoors announcement
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