Alabaster based wine and beer company to downsize, layoff 100 employees

ALABASTER, Ala. (WBRC) - A large Alabaster based wine and beer company is scaling back it’s workforce and laying off 100 of their 150 employees.

International Wines and Craft Beer cites the owner’s health as the reason for downsizing. President Brian Herr says, while they can’t keep everyone, they are doing what they can to make sure those impacted land on their feet.

According to Herr, the company is in negotiations with a competitor to purchase a large portion of the company. He says after recently being diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease, owner Charles Yeates and his family decided it was time to sell. Herr goes on to say they are doing what they can to make sure no one is left unemployed, and they will be keeping employees for another two months and offering other benefits.

“We’re doing everything that we can to work with our competitors to help place employees that were laid off and the Yeates family was incredibly generous with severance,” said Herr.

The company serves Alabama and Mississippi. Herr says their Mississippi employees are not being impacted.

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