Anheuser-Busch Heir Leading Group to Build a New Downtown Brewery

According to a source who is an executive in the construction industry, a new brewery formed by members of the Busch brewing clan will soon break ground in downtown St. Louis after parting ways with a former investor and regrouping with a revised ownership group.

Anheuser-Busch heir Billy Busch and John Timmermann, former director of retail operations for Bridgeton-based Dent Wizard International, filed in March with the office of the Missouri Secretary of State to dissolve Busch Timmermann Brewing.

Timmermann lists a Naples, FL, address as his home according to court documents, but he and Busch are reported to have neighboring properties in St. Charles County—Busch’s Blue Heron Farm and Timmermann’s Mallard Point Farm.

A search of documents filed with the Secretary of State reveals that William K. “Billy” Busch filed documents on June 29 that changed the name of his organization from William K. Busch, LLC, to William K. Busch Brewing Company, LLC.

The same source, who is close to the project, said others who have a vested interest in the brewery include Adolphus A. Busch IV (chairman of Great Rivers Habitat Alliance), Don Musick III (president of Don C. Musick Construction Company), and Mike Brooks (president and chief executive of Ardent Outdoors).

Highly respected Clayton attorney Bob Blitz would not comment about his client Don Musick’s involvement with the project. The location of the new brewery is unknown, but is believed to be near downtown St. Louis.

Busch and Timmermann also having guarantor goofs

Former Busch Timmermann Brewing partners Adolphus A. Busch IV and John R. Timmermann both have recently been spending time in St. Louis County court for their roles as guarantors in unrelated matters.

Busch was granted a default judgment against Arrowhead Landscaping of O’Fallon on June 29 by St. Louis County Judge Maura McShane.

According to court documents, Concord Bank on Tesson Ferry in South County extended Jerome Mueller and Michael Emgee of Arrowhead Landscaping a loan upon the reliance of Busch as guarantor.

On Dec. 9, 2010, Concord Bank informed Busch that Arrowhead had defaulted on the loan.

Busch paid Concord Bank $35,653.31 on Jan. 14, 2011, to satisfy the indebtedness of Arrowhead and was released from his capacity as guarantor by Concord Bank executive vice president Richard W. Cook.

Anne Lindner of Spencer Fane represented Busch.

Meanwhile in the St. Louis County courtroom of Judge Mark Seigel, St. Louis Bank is suing Timmermann and Prestige Properties for breach of contract.

According to court documents, St. Louis Bank alleges that Timmermann personally guaranteed the performance and payment of the loan made to Prestige Properties president Ken Eckardt of Chesterfield.

St. Louis Bank claims that Timmermann owes $945,455.20 as guarantor of the loan. Prestige and Timmermann are being represented by Albert Watkins of Kodner and Watkins while St. Louis Bank is being represented by Sarah Vatterott of Jenkins and Kling.

Bellington’s Litz and Frontenac Bank sued for $2.5 million by St. Charles real estate developer

Bellington Realty co-owner Michael Litz of Ladue and his investment company Eighteen Investments, along with Frontenac Bank, are being sued for fraud by Treadstone Properties and its managing partner Samuel Webb Smith III.

According to court documents, Smith claims Litz asked him to meet in 2009 to discuss conveying rental properties owned by Eighteen Investments to Treadstone LLC.

At that meeting, Smith claims Litz proposed that Treadstone assume Eighteen’s notes and deeds of trust for the loans that had been extended by Frontenac Bank for Eighteen’s purchase of the properties.

In the documents Smith claims Litz said the properties were worth 20 to 25 percent more than they really were. Litz then arranged for a meeting between Smith and Frontenac Bank representative David Webb at Eighteen’s Clayton office.

At the meeting, Smith claims Webb already knew the terms of the deal proposed to him by Litz. Frontenac Bank had previously extended loans to Eighteen on these and other properties.

Following that meeting, Frontenac Bank approved Treadstone’s assumption of Eighteen’s obligations. Smith claims that Frontenac Bank’s motivation for approving and entering into this transaction was to substitute good debtors, Smith and Treadstone, for their bad ones, Litz and Eighteen.

Smith is seeking $2.5 million in punitive damages. Frontenac Bank is headquartered in Earth City and also has branches in Frontenac, St. Charles, and Kirkwood.

Drum Headquarters in Maplewood closes after 30 years in businesss

The Drum Headquarters in Maplewood closed its doors to the public on July 7 after more than thirty years in business.

Owner Jim Uding started working for Drum Headquarters in 1983 before purchasing the business in 2005 from store founder Rob Birenbaum who began the venture in a 600 square-foot house during 1981.

Birrenbaum’s wife Sherre would make things even more crowded during the early days opening her business, The Disc-Connection, in the same small house.

According to Uding, events out of his control including the stagnant economy and accelerating changes brought on by technology forced him to shutter the specialty retailer that had featured locations in Maplewood and St. Peters over the years.

Customers with unfinished business will be contacted directly and The Lesson program will continue through the month of July. Students will be contacted with instructions by their teacher.

Uding encourages all concerned to continue monitoring DrumHeadquarters.com for updates.