Mayor says the Anheuser-Busch closure could lead to higher water rates and impact about 200 local jobs.
FAIRFIELD, Calif — The planned closure of Anheuser-Busch’s Fairfield facility in early 2026 is expected to affect workers, families and city finances, with residents likely to see higher water and sewer rates, Mayor Catherine Moy said Thursday.
Moy said she learned of the closure early Thursday morning after receiving a call from City Manager David Gassaway, who had just spoken with company representatives. She said the city had no advance notice of the decision.
“This is a massive layoff. So we’re shocked, and I’m upset,” Moy said. “We did not know a month ago, three months ago, nothing until this morning.”
Anheuser-Busch confirmed it will close facilities in Fairfield, California and Merrimack, New Hampshire, as well as sell its Newark, New Jersey, site in early 2026. In a statement, the company said it is shifting production from the three locations to other U.S. facilities and will support the approximately 475 full-time employees working at those sites by offering them full-time roles elsewhere in its U.S. operations.
“Over the last five years we have taken steps to update and modernize our U.S. manufacturing operations, investing nearly $2 billion in our 100 facilities across the country; after conducting a thorough review, we have decided to sell our Newark, NJ facility to the Goodman Group and to close our facilities in Fairfield, CA and Merrimack, NH in early 2026,” an Anheuser-Busch spokesperson said. “We will be shifting production from these three facilities to our other U.S. facilities and these changes will enable us to invest even more in our remaining operations and in our portfolio of growing, industry-leading brands.”
The company said all full-time employees at the three facilities will be offered full-time roles at other locations with relocation stipends and skills training. Employees who choose not to transfer will be offered severance packages and other resources.
Moy said about 200 employees in Fairfield are affected, calling it the largest layoff during her time as mayor. She criticized the timing of the announcement, which comes weeks before Christmas and Hanukkah.
“It is the worst kind of Grinch-mas that you could come up with. How they would do this before Christmas and Hanukkah? It’s disgusting,” she said.
Residents said the loss of jobs will be difficult for families.
“I do feel for the people who are losing their jobs,” said Luis Velazquez, a California resident. “It’s difficult enough to decide it’s time to move, and it’s even more difficult to move from a state like California.”
Linda Budil, a Solano County resident, said the brewery has long been part of the community.
“Budweiser has just like always been there. Solano County has a lot of family communities with tons of kids, tons of schools. What are these families going to do?” Budil said.
City officials said the closure will also affect Fairfield’s finances. The facility is the city’s largest water user and carries a significant share of water and sewer system costs. In a statement to ABC10, the city said the impacts will include the loss of local employment and reduced water utility operations and revenue, and that officials are still working to determine the exact amounts.
Moy said the city has not raised water rates in five years, but the loss of Anheuser-Busch’s usage means residents will likely see higher bills.
“With Anheuser-Busch gone, we’re probably going to have to raise rates,” she said, adding that the city’s budget cannot absorb the loss.
Moy said the city is going to try and identify potential future uses for the highly-specialized brewery site. In the meantime, she said she will be working to support displaced workers by connecting them with resources.
“They can call me if they need food, if they need housing, whatever it is,” she said. “Our whole community is going to hold them up.”
Moy also said she personally believes California’s business climate has contributed to the loss of major employers in Fairfield and other Solano County cities, though Anheuser-Busch has not cited that as a reason for the closure. She emphasized that her immediate focus remains on helping affected workers and addressing the financial impact on the city.
City leaders said they expect to learn more in the coming weeks as they continue to assess the full impact of the closure.
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