Labatt shuffles to Buffalo

Buffalo, whose denizens guzzle more Labatt Blue beer than any other U.S. city, is the new headquarters of Labatt USA, which is returning there after years in Norwalk, Conn.
Late last year, Labatt parent InBev SA announced it would close its Norwalk office at a cost of 120 jobs, as it sold off import rights for its European brands to Anheuser-Busch Companies Inc. Labatt was not included in the deal.
In a report last week, a Belgian magazine quoted unidentified InBev executives who said a merger with Anheuser-Busch is inevitable in the long term. With brands like Beck”™s, Brahma and Stella Artois, InBev is the largest brewer in the world as measured by volume.
Labatt is moving 20 sales and marketing jobs into a new office in downtown Buffalo. The office, designed by Westport-based Geitz Design Architects, includes a sports-themed bar.