A-B Agrees to Buy R. Ippolito in Staten Island

Dear Client: When it rains it pours. Just got word from Bob Tallett, A-B's VP of Business and Wholesaler Development, that they've agreed to buy R. Ippolito Distributing in Staten Island, N.Y., "a distributor with territory adjacent to Anheuser-Busch Inc., our company-owned distributorship based in the Bronx," per statement. Terms not disclosed, transaction expected to close shortly. R. Ippolito is about 700,000 cases. "Ippolito Distributing has been a good business partner with successful, well-run operations, skilled employees and it sells