Wehrenberg Theatres acquired by Milwaukee's Marcus Theatres

Wehrenberg Theatres, the oldest family-owned and operated theater chain in the county, is being acquired by Marcus Theatres of Milwaukee.

Based in Des Peres, Wehrenberg has nine St. Louis area theaters. Companywide, Wehrenberg has 14 theaters in Missouri, Illinois, Iowa, and Minnesota, totaling 197 movie screens.

Financial terms of the sale, set to close next month, were not disclosed. As part of the deal, Marcus is acquiring the real estate for six of Wehrenberg's theaters, in addition to Ronnie’s Plaza, an 84,000 square-foot retail center at 5320 S. Lindbergh Blvd. in south St. Louis County.

The seller is Midge Deppe Krueger, the widow of Wehrenberg's former president and CEO Ron Krueger, who died in October 2015. His father, Paul Krueger, was the son-in-law of Fred and Gertrude Wehrenberg, who founded the company by setting up a movie screen at 1953 Cherokee Street in 1906 next to their grocery, butcher shop and saloon.

“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," Wehrenberg's president Bill Menke said in a statement. "Our two companies share the same philosophy – providing customers with the best entertainment experience possible. We were fortunate to find another family-led circuit which also understands the extra commitment it takes to serve our neighborhoods."

Marcus, the fifth largest theater chain in the country, plans to retain the Wehrenberg name on the acquired theaters. With the acquisition, Marcus will have 68 locations and 885 movie screens.

"It's almost a perfect fit," Marcus Theatres' president and CEO Rolando Rodriguez told the Post-Dispatch. "Prior to Wehrenberg, we had theaters in seven states in the upper Midwest and many of our markets overlap except Missouri. This gives us a nice entry into Missouri, which we're really excited about."

Marcus plans to keep all of the Wehrenberg Theatres open and invest in upgrades, Rodriguez said. "We will be investing in amenities that we have at Marcus Theatres," he said.

Blockbusters including The Force Awakens and Jurassic World helped lead North America box office sales to a record year in 2015, with $11 billion in ticket sales, according to the Motion Picture Association of America, a 13 percent increase from the prior year.

"Last year was a record year for our industry and we fell very bullish about our industry," Rodriguez said.

Lisa Brown • 314-340-8127

@lisabrownstl on Twitter

lbrown@post-dispatch.com

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