MacKinnon Cartoon

[Jimmy]

From todays Herald

It sucks but it's true. I've got a couple friends who work there, both affected, but only one is losing his job.

Brucex28_2.jpg

http://thechronicleherald.ca/brucemacki ... 2010-11-28

[Brews]

I almost sent out a disclaimer to the group before doing this cartoon... (except that I still don't know how to use the new forum...) Tough to do a cartoon on the subject because the issue is about supply and demand, not the elephant in the room that we brewers are all preoccupied with. I spent two days coming up with 'crappy beer' ideas I couldn't use, when the issue is about job losses and business decisions. Most readers would have had no idea what I was talking about had I said what was really on my mind.

Thanks for your help with the RSS feed Jimmy. I got the sidebar installed, but still pretty clued out as to how it all works... fumbling my way around in very unfamiliar territory... if I don't reply to messages that you send me, it's because I can't find them. The Luddite in me preferred email posts, but I should manage to figure all this out by the time everybody's ready to move on to something else.

Brews

[mr x]

While the issue is about supply and demand in some regards, it also seems to me to be a way to cut jobs and costs. I'd be interested to know just what jobs they are slashing beyond the production jobs. Because the production jobs should come back when they start making Budweiser with their $500,000 upgrade (some sort of rice hopper/auger no doubt).

IIRC, I read that while macro beer sales are down, profits are up. I assume it's a combination of job reduction and price increases. Why not slip a few extra layoffs in with this economy of scale bullshit, and nobody's the wiser.

Hey, what's with Roger Taylor saying Keith's competes in the craft beer market anyway...

It didn’t take long for Keith’s to quickly gain a foothold in the highly competitive craft beer market

http://thechronicleherald.ca/Business/1213943.html

[Brews]

I can only assume he talking about sales in their other lines.... Harvest Ale, Dark Ale, Red Amber Ale, Dark Red Amber Ale, Red Dark Light Amber Ale, Extra Yellow Ale, Premium White, Premium White Yellow, and Premium Light White Yellow. Many people actually think these are craft beers.

[mr x]

Maybe some people do think they they are craft beer, but I think they see them as just a different Labatt product. I don't see how they compete with craft beer. They just compete with their other brands and Molson.

[derek]

While the issue is about supply and demand in some regards, it also seems to me to be a way to cut jobs and costs. I'd be interested to know just what jobs they are slashing beyond the production jobs. Because the production jobs should come back when they start making Budweiser with their $500,000 upgrade (some sort of rice hopper/auger no doubt).

Ah. That's the first I heard about making Bud, here. Their arguments that Keith's is a growing brand across the country and that it's expensive to ship it all from here didn't ring true when it didn't seem they were worried about the cost of shipping their other brands to the Maritimes. Even if they are going to make Bud here, unless Maritime beer consumption is shrinking, how do they save money?

[mr x]

I can only assume that they are seeing sales of Bud increasing and Keith's flat or decreasing in this market. And they hit the point where it made sense to do a brewhouse swap? And slide in some extra layoffs to increase their profits.

Because why would they even announce the shift in brew location if they were just going to bring in another product to pick up the capacity (and therefor maintain the jobs that go along with it)? It seems to me that this is a way to sneak in some layoffs so InBev can suck every last penny out of every ounce of beer that they can get away with. Now, if/when Bud picks up the capacity, many of those jobs that were lost will not return with it.

[Jimmy]

Thanks for your help with the RSS feed Jimmy. I got the sidebar installed, but still pretty clued out as to how it all works... fumbling my way around in very unfamiliar territory... if I don't reply to messages that you send me, it's because I can't find them. The Luddite in me preferred email posts, but I should manage to figure all this out by the time everybody's ready to move on to something else.

Brews

No problem. Does the sidebar do what you were looking for?

[BobbyOK]

While the issue is about supply and demand in some regards, it also seems to me to be a way to cut jobs and costs. I'd be interested to know just what jobs they are slashing beyond the production jobs. Because the production jobs should come back when they start making Budweiser with their $500,000 upgrade (some sort of rice hopper/auger no doubt).

Ah. That's the first I heard about making Bud, here. Their arguments that Keith's is a growing brand across the country and that it's expensive to ship it all from here didn't ring true when it didn't seem they were worried about the cost of shipping their other brands to the Maritimes. Even if they are going to make Bud here, unless Maritime beer consumption is shrinking, how do they save money?

"Start" making Bud here? They've been making Bud and/or Bud Light here for a while haven't they?

And Bruce, you could have thrown us a small bone by tearing the part of the label where it says "India". Or perhaps "Ale".

[mr x]

Yeah, who knows what they've been brewing over there. I don't pay too much attention. I figured Keller's comments about the money for the Budweiser capacity increase meant a significant increase compared to what they are doing now.

[Jimmy]

Yeah, who knows what they've been brewing over there. I don't pay too much attention. I figured Keller's comments about the money for the Budweiser capacity increase meant a significant increase compared to what they are doing now.

I believe it's a 30% increase in bud.

[mr x]

I'd love to see a comparison of IPA/Bud bbls that have swapped and compare that to job losses.