The rumors have been spreading all over the St. Louis area for the past couple of weeks. InBev, a beer distributor out of Belgium, would likely make a bid for the nations largest brewery and St. Louis benefactor, Anheuser Busch. Today those rumors became reality.
As I turned on my radio in the car on my way home today I heard the news on the voice of St. Louis, 1120 KMOX. InBev has made an unsolicited bid to purchase Anheuser Busch at a cost of $65 per share. This is a major concern in the St. Louis area!
Anheuser Busch is a St. Louis Institution. Their name is on the home of our World Championship St. Louis Cardinals home ballpark - Baseball Heaven aka Busch Stadium. Their name appears on any number of buildings at various institutions of higher learning all over the metro area. The Budweiser Clydesdales are one of the most recognized corporate icons in the nation and make appearances at numerous festivals and parades all across the Fruited Plain. AB is also a major benefactor of multiple not-for-profit agencies. The point is - Anheuser Busch is part of Americana and most importantly a vital part of St. Louis.
Additionally, AB is one of the largest employers in the St. Louis area. Many thousands of people work for Anheuser Busch right here in St. Louis and in other places around the country. These people are dependent upon the company for their well-being and income. Their pay translates in money spent in the local economy.
InBev is likely to change all of the above. Multiple reports have indicated that InBev may well cut jobs and often are not involved in the community. Could St. Louis loose - you bet we can. People could loose jobs, St. Louis could loose its benefactor, and who knows what might happen to the beer!
I for one hope that Anheuser Busch stays right here in mid-America where it belongs! I hope the deal is not done and AB continues to be the St. Louis institution that we know and love. I for one hope that Anheuser Busch continues to be the great American icon that it has become and continues to brew its product on the banks of the Mississippi without any InBev control. Why do I believe this? I believe this because St. Louis just can afford to loose another major icon - TWA and McDonnell Douglas already left - AB needs to stay. I believe this because there are just some things that belong in America and ought to remain uniquely American: Apple Pie, Football, Baseball, and Anheuser Busch!
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