St. Louis-based Wehrenberg Theatres sold

Wehrenberg Theatres, the nation’s oldest family-owned and operated theater circuit, has been sold.

Marcus Theatres has signed an agreement to acquire the assets of the St. Louis-based company, which has a location in Cape Girardeau.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed in the Monday announcement, but the deal is expected to be finalized in December.

Marcus Theatres, a division of Marcus Corp., is the fifth-largest theater circuit in the United States. The company owns or operates 688 screens at 54 locations in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and Ohio.

Wehrenberg Theatres has 197 screens at 14 locations in Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota.

Fourteen of these screens are in the Cape West 14 Cine in Cape Girardeau.

Through this acquisition, Marcus Theatres will increase its number of screens by 29 percent.

“Acquisitions are an important component of our growth strategy and we are pleased to add the Wehrenberg Theatres locations to our circuit,” Gregory S. Marcus, president and CEO of Marcus Corp., said in a news release. “We anticipate a smooth integration of Wehrenberg Theatres into our circuit and expect the acquisition will be accretive to both earnings and cash flow.”

Rolando B. Rodriguez, president and CEO of Marcus Theatres, said the acquired theaters would retain the Wehrenberg name.

“In addition, we look forward to working with the company’s associates to continue the tradition of excellence built by the Wehrenberg family,” Rodriguez said in a news release.

Marcus Theatre officials are assessing staffing needs of the acquired cinemas.

Lindsey Weix, communications and media-relations specialist for the company, acknowledged the need to inform Wehrenberg employees about the future of their jobs as soon as possible.

“We will make every effort to complete our assessment of the needs of the combined organization, meet with the employees and get our decisions within the coming weeks,” Weix said in an email.

“We are pleased Marcus Theatres will carry on the dedication to our customers and communities that has been a hallmark of Wehrenberg Theatres since 1906,” William E. “Bill” Menke, president of Wehrenberg Theatres, said in the release. “We were fortunate to find another family-led circuit which also understands the extra commitment it takes to serve our neighborhoods.”

bbrown@semissourian.com

(573) 388-3630

Pertinent address:

247 Siemers Dr, Cape Girardeau, Mo.