Beerdrinkers from West Coast file lawsuit to stop Anheuser-Busch InBev/SABMiller merger, saying it would hurt consumers.
BY JACOB PALMER | DIGITAL NEWS EDITOR
Beerdrinkers from the West Coast have filed a lawsuit to stop the Anheuser-Busch InBev/SABMiller merger, saying it would hurt consumers.
Nineteen Oregonians join three Californians and a Washingtonian as plaintiffs in the case.
“…plaintiffs are threatened with loss or damage in the form of higher beer prices and less consumer options. If defendants’ proposed transaction is consummated, plaintiffs will sustain irreparable harm for which damages will be unable to compensate plaintiffs, in that competition once lost cannot easily be restored,” the lawsuit says.
James DeHoog owns an air quality and environmental consulting business in Central Point, near Medford. He said he’s seen antitrust cases in his field, which spurred him to get involved with the beer lawsuit.
“I think what we need to be focused on is creating small businesses,” said DeHoog, the lead plaintiff. “Why do we want to allow one entity to control that market? I don’t think it’s good for consumers, I don’t think it’s good for industry, I don’t think it’s good for the tax base, I don’t think it’s good for any of that.”
(READ MORE: OregonLive.com)
It seems fitting that this case originated in Oregon.
In step with the growing craft industry, Deschutes is planning to expand its production facility in Bend.
The facility is noteworthy for its built-in energy efficiency and that it’s an example of a tilt-up style construction, said Gary North, vice president for Central Oregon of R&H Construction Co. Tilt-up construction means the concrete walls are poured in forms laying flat, then tilted up into place using cranes.
The wall panels range from 27 feet tall and 25 feet wide to 35 feet tall by approximately 20 feet wide, said Brendon Warren, senior project manager for R&H Construction Co. Tilt-up construction is an ideal method for a big-box style building, he said. The new addition, which is larger than the existing warehouse, encompasses about as much space as a football field.
(READ MORE: Bend Bulletin)
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