Two Big Distrib Deals: A-B Acquiring Advance in CA; SGWS Springs for Clare Rose in NY

Dear Client: Two big wholesaler deals broke late yesterday evening that underscore how the middle tier continues to see consolidation, with Anheuser-Busch buying a wholesaler in Central-ish California and Southern Glazer's getting deeper into beer in New York.  First up: Bakersfield-based, roughly 4-million-case A-B house, Advance Beverage Co. of California's Central Valley, is selling to Anheuser-Busch, the companies announced. It seems like a new branch territory area in the state for A-B, who still has owned distributor operations in areas