06.05.2008 11:58 am
Report: Anheuser-Busch, InBev hold talks
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Belgian newspaper De Standaard reported today that InBev, the Belgian brewer of Stella Artois and Beck’s, is in contact with Anheuser-Busch Cos. about a possible offer for the St. Louis-based company, according to a Bloomberg News.
Bloomberg said the newspaper did not cite a source for its information.
From Bloomberg:
“The object of the discussions is to get the ‘green light” for an offer (the news wire reported, citing De Standaard). … A quick breakthrough in InBev’s intended bid for Anheuser-Busch isn’t to be expected, the newspaper said.”
Representatives of Anheuser-Busch and InBev declined to comment.
Jeremiah McWilliams is a native Virginian who came to the Post-Dispatch in early 2007 to cover beer and other consumer products. He previously covered manufacturing for the Virginian-Pilot newspaper in Norfolk, Va. He is a graduate of Washington and Lee University. 
This will be terrible for St. Louis! Help do what we can at http://www.dontsellAB.com
Great news for anyone that cares about growth for Anheuser-Busch. The company hasn’t performed that well in the last five years, unfortunately. Here’s another take from Reuters on major shareholder opinions: http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUSN0530735120080605?sp=true
Great news for the growth of AB, Dave!!!! This would be the death of AB and another american company. It doesn’t bother you that most of our companies are foreign-owned and most of our jobs are going overseas?? This bid is bigger than $$$ and I hope everyone else sees that. Protect america - keep AB american-owned!!!!!
Jay
I am right there with word for word
Unfortunately for St Louis this is simply a reversal of what America has been doing all over the world for decades. The US became the dominant force in global business by acquiring foreign firms on the back of having a strong/stable currency and being able to extract cost savings via more efficient management/cost savings. The shoe is now on the other foot - AB has been struggling for growth for some time now and a foreign firm is simply saying, they look cheap and we can run it more efficiently - sad for St Louis but you can’t have it both ways.
If Inbev takes over, there will be a huge probability that the employees, starting from mngt. down to operators will suffer a huge blow in payroll. History has proven that Inbev will come in and start eliminating positions, cut income IN HALF, take it or leave it.Do you remember what happened in Canada. They came in and it was a take over compared to communism. It will be a total blow to the American Economy. Think about it who is governing the gas prices? Who builds most of our technology? And who is doing all the cheap labor in America? I may not be the brightest star, but I can sure see that I’m (and the American Economy) heading towards disaster. Don’t let our beer go to the hands of foreigners too. OMG Open your eyes you smart people and do something about this. DO NOT SELL TO INBEV!!!!!!!
Being an employee at one of ABs breweries. I know first hand downsizing has already been accomplished over the last few years, and the only option for INBEV to save 1.4bil is for cost cutting. AB strives day to day to make a superior product and a very cost effective one. Cutting corners will only hurt ABs excellent quality standards in the long run and help out our foreign competitors
America is the birthplace of the capitalist society, Inbev is the global manisfestation of that culture. History has shown that Inbev have been incredibly successful in running an organization in the most efficient manner possible, whilst maintaining their customer base - how they became the largest, most profitable brewer in the world. You can’t compare them to communists when what they have shown all over the world is exactly the opposite behaviour. If the American economy is heading towards ruin it is because it continues to prop up businesses operating in an uneconomic manner - not because it allows foreign owners to buy US companies.
I was at Schlitz in 1982 when we (Schlitz) were trying to purchase the Stroh Brewery Company…Jack McKeithan and Frank Sellinger thought that they had the deal “locked up” until Peter Stroh had the forsight to do an end-run on the Schlitz guys…it wound up that Stroh purchased Schlitz in what was one of the very first leveraged buy-outs…don’t count A-B out yet.
They are one of the driving forces for Pa supermarkets to sell beer, as a beer distributor owner, I’ll lose my business, let their employeess lose theirs!