Montgomery beer warehouse to close

The combining of two of New York City”™s largest beer distributors is putting 159 warehouse employees out of work in Orange County.

According to a notice filed with the state Department of Labor, Brooklyn-based Windmill Distributing, which does business as Phoenix\Beehive Beverage Distributors, will close its warehouse at 155 Bracken Road in Montgomery. The plant closing comes in the wake of Windmill Distributing”™s agreement to be acquired by Bronx-based Manhattan Beer Distributors, which was announced in December.

The Montgomery site employs 159 warehouse workers represented by the Soft Drink and Brewery Workers Teamsters Local 812.

Manhattan Beer Distributors carries more than 300 different beers, including Coors products, and delivers to retail customers in the five boroughs, Long Island, Westchester, the lower Hudson Valley and Delaware County. The company operates a distribution facility at 20 Dunnigan Drive in Suffern.

Among the beers distributed by Windmill Distributing are Guinness, Heineken, Amstel Light and Miller products. The Windmill Distributing plant in Montgomery is expected to close between Feb. 28 and Mar. 13. The acquisition is subject to approval from the distributors”™ suppliers, as well as government agencies including the U.S. Department of Justice.

Messages left for Windmill Distributing and Teamsters Local 812 President Ed Weber seeking comment were not returned.