posted 11-22-2016 03:59 PM                       

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Marcus Theatres announced today that it has signed an agreement to purchase all fourteen movie theaters from Wehrenberg Theatres.

Marcus Theatres is based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and currently has 54 locations in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Ohio. The company was founded in 1935 with a single theater, and still operates that theater today as the Marcus Campus Cinema in Ripon, Wisconsin.

Wehrenberg Theatres bills itself as the "oldest family-owned and operated theatre circuit in the United States," and was founded in 1906 with the opening of The Cherokee Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri. The company currently has 14 locations in Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota.

According to the press release issued today by Marcus Theatres, they are hoping to finalize the acquisition in December.

"Acquisitions are an important component of our growth strategy and we are pleased to add the Wehrenberg Theatres locations to our circuit. The acquisition demonstrates our continued confidence in our theatre business. It will expand our presence in Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota and extends our footprint into Missouri," said Gregory S. Marcus, president and chief executive officer of The Marcus Corporation.

The press release also mentions that they will retain the Wehrenberg name on the acquired theaters, and they hope to bring some Marcus amenities, such as their DreamLounger seats, UltraScreen/SuperScreen auditoriums, and food/beverage options (Zaffiro's anyone?).

The acquisition will bring the company to 885 screens in 68 locations in eight states. The web site for the National Association of Theatre Owners shows Marcus to be the fifth largest movie theater chain in the United States (as of July 2015), and this acquisition would not move its ranking at all, since #4 is Carmike Cinemas with 2,942 screens in 275 locations. If AMC's acquisition of Carmike Cinemas goes through, Marcus will move up the ranks regardless.

The good news is that there isn't any mention of theater closures, which can happen with mergers and acquisitions. Here is a list of the affected Wehrenberg locations:

- Wehrenberg Galaxy 16 Cine -- Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Wehrenberg Bloomington Galaxy 14 Cine -- Bloomington, Illinois
- Wehrenberg St. Clair 10 Cine -- Fairview Heights, Illinois
- Wehrenberg O'Fallon 15 Cine -- O'Fallon, Illinois
- Wehrenberg Rochester Galaxy 14 Cine -- Rochester, Minnesota
- Wehrenberg Arnold 14 Cine -- Arnold, Missouri
- Wehrenberg Cape West 14 Cine -- Cape Girardeau, Missouri
- Wehrenberg Chesterfield Galaxy 14 -- Chesterfield, Missouri
- Wehrenberg Town Square 12 Cine -- Dardenne Prairie, Missouri
- Wehrenberg Eagles' Landing 8 Cine -- Lake Ozark, Missouri
- Wehrenberg St. Charles Stadium 18 Cine -- St. Charles, Missouri
- Wehrenberg Des Peres 14 Cine -- St. Louis, Missouri
- Wehrenberg Ronnie's 20 Cine -- St. Louis, Missouri
- Wehrenberg Mid-Rivers 14 Cine -- St. Peters, Missouri

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