Belgian-Brazilian brewery AB InBev will invest 2 billion dollars (1.8 billion euro) into its American breweries over the next few years. 500 million dollars will already be invested this year.
Deal with lower sales
The company’s investments in new packaging, distribution and brewery divisions are its proof of faith in the American economy and that it is willing to commit to the country. Its weaker American performances also prompted AB InBev to act. Over the course of its first quarter, it sold 4.7 % less and turnover slumped 2.6 %. The surge in popularity for the smaller, local breweries has hindered its own development.
AB InBev already has about a dozen of American “craft brewers”, acquired over the past few years, and a part of its investments will go towards these smaller breweries. Washington-based Elysian Brewing will get fifteen million euro to help roll out its beer all across the United States.
Goose Island is another AB InBev-owned smaller American brewery that benefited a lot from its new owner’s reach. Its beer is now also available in Belgium for instance.
