Ambev Closes the Minas Brewery After Ninety Years in Uruguay
URUGUAY · BUSINESS
Key Facts
- —What happened Fabricas Nacionales de Cerveza told the union it will close its brewery in Minas, in the department of Lavalleja.
- —Who owns it The company belongs to Ambev, the Latin American arm of the world’s largest brewing group.
- —Who it affects Fifty-nine workers were placed on Uruguay’s state unemployment insurance scheme.
- —The catch The plant was closed once before and reopened with fewer staff, so the word closure has been used here already.
- —Where output goes Production moves to the company’s Montevideo plant, with a stated investment of US$14 million there.
- —What comes next There is no reversal and no confirmed closing date, and the government says talks continue.
The plant has been closed once before and reopened smaller. This time the company has already named where the beer goes instead.
Uruguay is losing the Minas brewery after ninety years. Fabricas Nacionales de Cerveza told the union it will close the plant.
The announcement was made at the Ministry of Labour on 18 August. Talks had run for about two months before it.
The plant sits in Minas, in the department of Lavalleja. It opened in 1936.
Fifty-nine workers were placed on Uruguay’s state unemployment insurance. The company says production moves to Montevideo.
Who Actually Owns It
Fabricas Nacionales de Cerveza is the Uruguayan operating company. It is controlled by Ambev.
Ambev is the Latin American arm of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s largest brewing group. Ambev took control of the Uruguayan business in 2003.
The chain matters for how the decision reads. This was a regional consolidation, not a headquarters decision taken in Belgium.
What the Plant Made
The site began under Compania Salus brewing the Serrana brand. That is why it is still often called the Serrana brewery.
The brand was renamed Patricia in 1956. Patricia remains one of Uruguay’s best-known beers.
So the plant’s history and its product carry different names. Both are correct, depending on which decade you mean.
Why the Company Says It Is Closing
Ambev cited a general review of its business. It also pointed to competition from imported canned beer.
High production costs were the third reason given. Uruguay is an expensive place to manufacture by regional standards.
The Montevideo plant is receiving US$14 million of investment. That is the destination for the volume Minas used to brew.
This Has Happened Before
The Minas plant was already shut once. It reopened with fewer workers after a dispute was settled at the labour ministry.
That history explains the local reaction. Several Uruguayan outlets described the company as closing the plant again.
It also explains why the union is not treating the announcement as final. The precedent runs the other way.
What the Minas Brewery Made
The Minas brewery bottled for the domestic market rather than for export. Uruguay drinks most of what it brews.
Its output was modest by regional standards. Ambev runs far larger sites in Brazil and Argentina.
That scale gap is the argument for consolidation. It is also why this plant was always the vulnerable one.
The Political Response
President Yamandu Orsi said the decision was actually taken in 2024 and then postponed. He said the government is in contact with the company.
The economy ministry and the Lavalleja local government are both involved. Orsi said the company is making offers to secure the best outcome for workers.
Adriana Pena, an opposition deputy for Lavalleja, criticised the government. She said it had not done enough to keep production outside the capital.
Why It Matters Beyond Minas
Uruguay has spent years trying to keep industry out of Montevideo. Regional plants anchor small-town employment in a country of three and a half million people.
Fifty-nine jobs is a small number nationally. In a town the size of Minas, it is a visible one.
The pattern is familiar across the region. Consolidation into a single efficient plant is cheaper for the company and expensive for the town.
What to Watch on the Guatemala Bodies Count
The first marker is a confirmed closing date for the Minas brewery. None has been published, and that is unusual three weeks after an announcement.
The second is what the company offers the 59 workers. Relocation packages to Montevideo would signal the decision is final.
The third is whether the government finds a buyer for the site. That is the only route that keeps brewing in Minas.
More: Uruguay news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the Minas brewery closing?
Ambev’s Uruguayan company cited a general business review, competition from imported canned beer, and high production costs. Production moves to its Montevideo plant, which is receiving US$14 million of investment.
How many workers are affected?
Fifty-nine workers were placed on Uruguay’s state unemployment insurance scheme after the announcement on 18 August 2026.
Is the closure final?
There is no confirmed final closing date and no reversal. The plant was closed once before and reopened with fewer workers, which is why the union is still pressing.
Sources: El Observador, Infobae, Diario La Union, Radio Monte Carlo, Ambito, Rio Times.
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