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Rockingham County Hopes Sale Of MillerCoors Plant Brings Jobs

MillerCoors announced in Sept. 2015 it would close its brewery in Eden, North Carolina. The plant officially closed a year later. Photo courtesy of the Triad Business Journal.

The MillerCoors facility in Eden has been sold, and the purchase is bringing optimism to Rockingham County.

The plant has been shuttered since 2016, and more than 500 workers lost their job when it closed. But now, the former industrial site now has a new owner, Greensboro-based D.H. Griffin. 

Rockingham County Manager Lance Metzler was surprised by the news. He says local leaders are eager to learn about the company's plans.

“Eden had the textile industries and when they closed down that was one blow and then when MillerCoors closed, that was another blow. But now you've got a solid investor that has purchased that property. We are excited that he'll bring some life back in that area,” says Metzler. 

According to Metzler, D.H. Griffin purchased the MillerCoors property in December for roughly $2.7 million. In 2008, MillerCoors bought that same site from Miller Brewing for more than $53 million.

“The purchase price seemed to be lower than what we anticipated it to sell for, however knowing D.H. Griffin and their organization, we feel confident that they will make that a very successful site for whatever they have plans for," says Metzler.

He adds, "We haven't had any communications with the firm yet to find out what their plans are, but we hope to in the near future.”

*You can follow WFDD's Keri Brown on Twitter @kerib_news

Keri Brown is a multi-award winning reporter and host at 88.5 WFDD. She has been honored with two regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her stories about coal ash, and was named the 2015 radio reporter of the year by the Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas (RTDNAC).Although she covers a variety of topics, her beats are environmental and education reporting.Keri comes to the Triad from West Virginia Public Broadcasting, where she served as the Chief Bureau Reporter for the Northern Panhandle. She produced stories for the state's Public Television and Radio programs and was honored by the West Virginia Associated Press Broadcasters Association for her feature and enterprise reporting.She also served as an adjunct instructor at Wheeling Jesuit University and Bethany College in West Virginia. She worked with the Center for Educational Technologies in Wheeling, WV, and other NASA centers across the country to develop several stories about the use of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) concepts in the classroom.Keri's journalism career began at WTRF-TV 7 in Wheeling. She worked in several roles at the station, including the head assignment editor. She also was a field producer and assignment manager at WPGH-TV Fox 53 in Pittsburgh.Keri is a graduate of Ohio University. When she's not in the studio or working on a story, she enjoys watching college football with her family, cooking, and traveling.Keri is always looking for another great story idea, so please share them with her. You can follow her on Twitter @kerib_news.

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