Problems mount for bankrupt brewer

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07236/811707-28.stm

Problems mount for bankrupt brewer

Friday, August 24, 2007
By Len Boselovic, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The proposed saviors of bankrupt Pittsburgh Brewing, who last month were given an additional 45 days to complete their takeover of the troubled Lawrenceville brewer, are confident they'll meet the latest deadline extension.

However, the investor group headed by Connecticut businessman John N. Milne has yet to obtain a brewery license from the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board or meet the bonding requirements of the U.S. Alcohol & Tobacco Tax & Trade Bureau, the federal agency that collects excise taxes on beer.

Meanwhile, production continues to be sharply curtailed during the crucial summer drinking season because of the brewery's chronic cash shortage, a shortage workers and others familiar with the company say has become worse in recent weeks.

Many workers are laid off or working only a few days each week because most vendors are demanding cash on delivery, terms current owner and President Joseph R. Piccirilli can't meet.

"It's a mess down there," said one union worker who asked not to be identified.

Several distributors said brewery officials recently told them operations would be shut down for several weeks, either because of cash shortages or paperwork problems transferring the state brewing license from Mr. Piccirilli's ownership group to Iron City Brewing, Mr. Milne's group.

Timothy Hickman, a member of Mr. Milne's group and Mr. Piccirilli's designated successor, disputed reports of a shutdown.

FULL story at link.

[Mythsaje]

1. I like your Elizabeth Edwards graphic...

That's cool.