Job cuts coming at Beam Wine Estates

Constellation Brands, Inc. is slashing 93 jobs at Beam Wine Estates and will close the division’s Healdsburg headquarters as part of its effort to absorb five California wineries it purchased last month for $885 million.

The cuts represent an 18 percent reduction in the division, which employs 520 workers. Most reductions are coming in administrative functions like finance, human resources, sales and marketing, according to an employee familiar with the plans.

The vast majority of the Beam workforce, approximately 375 employees, work in Sonoma County at the Healdsburg headquarters and four Sonoma County-based wineries in the group, which include Clos du Bois, Geyser Peak, Gary Farrell and Buena Vista Carneros wineries.

News of the layoffs came after executives from the Fairport, N.Y.-based Constellation visited Healdsburg Monday to brief employees on the progress of integration plans, which began immediately after the Dec. 17 purchase of the group from Fortune Brands.

An employee familiar with the presentation confirmed 93 people were not offered jobs. Constellation plans to close the Healdsburg headquarters in six months to a year, said the employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Nora Feeley, spokeswoman for Constellation, said details of the integration plan should be available by the end of January. So far, more than 400 employees have been offered positions with the new company, she said.

“I honestly think that more than 400 of the 500-odd (Beam) employees are going to stay with Constellation Wines U.S., and we’re thrilled to have them and they are excited to join the company,” Feeley said.