Business & Tech
Billy Busch Sued in St. Louis County Over New Brewing Company
Rio Creative Inc. is suing for more than $600,000 in a breach of contract suit against the William K. Busch Brewing Company.
Rio Creative Inc. and Rio founder and partner Jeff Hutson filed a breach of contract suit on Nov. 21 against the William K. Busch Brewing Company and company founder William K. “Billy” Busch in the St. Louis County courtroom of Judge Steve Goldman.
Rio Creative alleges in court documents that it provided consulting, creative and project management services to Busch regarding the development of a microbrewery and incurred expenses totaling more than $650,000 from May 2009 through March 2011.
Rio further alleges that Hutson was promised he would have an ownership stake in the microbrewery for his individual efforts.
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Rio and Hutson allege that the William K. Busch Brewing Company has owed Rio for its services since March 2011.
Patch was first to report that Billy Busch was entering the brewing business with the help of some former longtime Anheuser-Busch employess, including Mike Brooks, the former CEO of A-B wholesale operations.
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Busch was not held to the non-compete agreement that other family members were during the 2008 A-B buyout by Belgian brewing behemoth InBev. According to Evan Benn of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, when the brewery unveiled Kräftig Lager and Kräftig Light (pronounced CREF-tig, German for "powerful") at the World’s Fair Pavilion in Forest Park recently, the audience applauded when James F. Hoffmeister, Busch Brewing's president and CEO, promised to "build our headquarters and our brewery" in St. Louis in the next few years.
Until a local facility is built, Kräftig Lager and Kräftig Light will be brewed under contract in La Crosse, WI.
According to Rio's website, Hutson spent five years with Busch Creative Services, which was the marketing/promotions subsidiary of A-B before he left to found Rio Creative.
Rio is based in The Hill neighborhood of St. Louis and lists a portfolio of clients including Target and Radio Shack.
Rio Creative and Hutson are being represented by Carl Lumley of Curtis, Heinz, Garrett & O’Keefe; representatives declined comment citing pending litigation.
Attempts to reach the William K. Brewing Company for comment were unsuccessful.