Labatt offers to pay lease of non-competitor
Ken Mann
4/20/2010
http://www.900chml.com/Channels/Reg/...spx?ID=1220694
Labatt doesn't believe it deserves all of the criticism that it's been getting.
The brewing giant insists that it has been trying to work with the City of Hamilton, to keep the former Lakeport plant in some form of operation.
Labatt notes that it has offered to donate its lease and municipal tax payments through May of 2012 to any new tenant that the city can find for the building, as long as it is not a "direct competitor".
Director of Corporate Affairs Jeff Ryan adds that the lease and tax payments on the Burlington Street facility total 89 thousand dollars per month, placing the value of their offer at 2.1 million dollars if the city can act immediately.
Ryan's insistence that the company will not subsidize a competitor comes one day after Labatt started removing the beer-making equipment from the Hamilton plant. He also stresses that the decision to close the plant two weeks earlier than expected was made in conjunction with union officials.
The Teamsters union is planning another rally outside of the plant on Wednesday afternoon.