Bud Friends America: Anheuser-Busch Putting Cash into U.S.

Anheuser-Busch may be owned by the Belgium company InBev, but that doesn’t mean it’s forgotten the country of its origin: the US of A.

In case you hadn’t noticed, things have been a little tight on the financial front for most folks recently so the brewer is doing something that could help all Americans in one way or another — investing “more than $1 billion in its breweries and other facilities nationwide that will support the growth of its brands and reinforce its commitment to local U.S. communities where it operates.”

"Our beer brands are the favorites of millions of U.S. adults, and supporting their growth requires an ongoing commitment to quality, innovation and technologically advanced operations," stated Luiz Edmond, president of Anheuser-Busch InBev North America, in a press release. "Our employees, local leaders and communities where we operate are a part of our success, and we are pleased to make business investments that are good for all of our stakeholders."

A lot of the dollars spent also help the company go greener at many of its breweries.

Since 2010, the company has put $60 million into its St. Louis brewery for such improvements as “a utilities overhaul to conserve fuel, electricity and water” as well as $34 million of upgrades at the company’s Houston brewery, which runs on 70% renewable energy, to expand “production by an additional 500,000 barrels per year,” according to Packaging Digest.

At the company’s brewery in Los Angeles, $30 million has gone to “environmental modifications to reduce the amount of fiberboard required for packaging and updated energy efficient lighting.”

And so on. You get the idea. Anheuser-Busch is getting greener while spreading some green around to the American workforce. Pretty nice combo in rough times.

"We are known for our quality brewing, and these investments allow Anheuser-Busch to continue our legacy of brewing and packaging the highest-quality beer at facilities where we make environmental sustainability a priority," added Pete Kraemer, VP, supply for Anheuser-Busch, in the release. "Brewery upgrades are only one way we contribute to the communities where we live and work, and our local teams deserve the credit for their initiatives to conserve water and energy, increase recycling and make a difference through volunteerism programs."