Anheuser-Busch InBev to Invest $1 Billion in US Beer Business
Anheuser-Busch InBev plans to invest more than $1 billion in its breweries and other facilities in the US. The capital expenditure programme includes resources spent or committed in 2011 toward projects to further modernise brewing processes, upgrade systems to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and install equipment for new products and innovations, among other items, with additional allocations being made for projects through 2014.
“Our beer brands are the favorites of millions of US adults, and supporting their growth requires an ongoing commitment to quality, innovation and technologically advanced operations,” says Luiz Edmond, president of Anheuser-Busch InBev North America.
Future investments will continue Anheuser-Busch’s long-standing commitment to continuous process improvements in its operations. Projects launched since 2010 include: $60 million invested in the company’s historic St. Louis brewery for various improvements; $34 million for upgrades at the Houston brewery, including a project that allows expanded production by an additional 500,000 barrels per year; $34 million to introduce packaging and brand innovation in Cartersville; and $30 million in capital investments at the Los Angeles brewery for various projects.
In addition to its breweries, Anheuser-Busch is investing in its agricultural operations and other facilities. For example, earlier this year the company announced a $40 million investment in its Longhorn Glass facility in Houston. The project involved a re-bricking of the very heart of the plant – its furnace – and expanded production capacity with the introduction of one of the fastest glass-forming machines in the world.
