Anheuser Busch

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Anheuser Busch is a wholly owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev since 2008 when it merged with InBev. It is the leading global brewer and continues to operate under the Anheuser-Busch name and logo. Anheuser Busch is based in St. Louis USA and operates 12 breweries across the states. The company commands almost half of all American beer sales (48.5%) and owns some of the top selling global beer brands including Budweiser beer. The firm also owns half of Grupo Modelo, Mexico’s leading brewer. In 2008 the firm took first place in FORTUNE Magazine's most admired global and American companies. Anheuser Busch's business interests also include theme parks and aluminum can manufacturing and recycling.[1]

History

The company was established in 1852 at the Bavarian Brewery in St. Louis, in 1960 Eberhard Anheuser, a soap manufacturer, bought the brewery. According to the company web site they became the first brewery to use pasteurization, in 1870 and by the early 1880s refrigerated rail cars and rail side icehouses, allowing products to be widely distributed. Budweiser introduced in 1876 was the first National brand introduced to America. The firm survived the prohibition era (1920-1933) by selling soft drinks and ice cream. [2]

Philanthropy

Anheuser Busch has a long history of philanthropy and charitable donations. The company is very proud of this aspect of their history which dates back to 1884 [3]. The scale of the donations made by the companies foundation is extensive.

  • Anheuser Busch, the International Bottled Water Association and Hewlett-Packard-owned Electronic Data Systems are among the private firms and organizations sponsoring the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), which hosts the forums every four years. Although lobbying supremo Mike Roche claims that they were happy to support the event as an important part of the democratic process, others don't agree. Critics say the presidential and vice-presidential debates are yet another way that corporate and special-interest money flows directly into politics, despite laws that try to restrict corporate donations to campaign coffers and other venues. Furthermore, John McCain's father-in-law, James Hensley, established Hensley & Co., an Anheuser beer distributorship in Phoenix whose value has been put by industry experts at more than $250 million. "We certainly think it doesn't look good," Mary Boyle, spokeswoman for Watchdog group Common Cause, contending that the two companies' role is "particularly troublesome given Cindy McCain's relationship with Anheuser and John McCain's relationship with Carly Fiorina (McCain's economic adviser was former chief executive officer at Hewlett Packard."[4]
  • National Social Norms Institute based at the University of Virginia was made possible by the company with a 2.5 million dollar donation. The institute researches how marketing techniques can create social norms and uses these techniques to try and prevent the harmful use of drugs and alcohol and to modify other risky behaviours. [5] The 2.5 million awarded to the institute is part of the 7.7 million dollars Anheuser Busch spent in 2006 on social norms marketing programmes across American College campuses. [6]
  • Saint Louis University were awarded $3 million from the Anheuser Busch Foundation the largest donation for a $35 million expansion of the law department. This represented the largest single donation in the company history.[7]
  • Donors to athletics for Wisconsin university in 2008. [8]
  • Anheuser Busch Foundation Scholarships, potential students can apply to this fund for financial support through university [9]
Anheuser Busch Branded Drinking Water [11]
  • Providing drinking water to disaster victims has become a regular feature of the brewers philanthropy , since 1988 the company has donated more than 59 million cans of drinking water to aid the victims of hurricanes and natural disasters.[12] Critics have argued that the branding of this water is inappropriate and regard such action as a cynical marketing ploy. [13].

Board of Directors

  • August A. Busch III Chairman of the Executive Committee, Joined board 1963
  • August A. Busch IV President and Chief Executive Officer, Joined board 2006
  • James Forese Former Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer, Joined board 2003
  • James Jones Former U.S. Ambassador to Mexico; Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer - Manatt Jones Global Strategies, LLC, a global consulting firm Joined board 1998
  • Vernon R. Loucks, Jr Chairman of the Board - The Aethena Group, LLC, a health-care merchant banking firm Joined board 1988
  • Vilma S. Martinez Partner - Munger, Tolles & Olson, attorneys Joined board 1983
  • William Porter Payne Vice Chairman - Gleacher Partners, LLC, an investment banking and asset management firm Joined board 1997
  • Joyce M. Roché President and Chief Executive Officer - Girls Incorporated, a nonprofit organization Joined board 1998
  • Henry Hugh Shelton Former Chairman – Joint Chiefs of Staff Joined board 2001
  • Patrick T. Stokes Chairman of the Board Joined board 2000
  • Andrew C. Taylor Chairman and Chief Executive Officer – Enterprise Rent-A-Car Company;

an international car rental and related services company Joined board 1995

  • Douglas A. Warner III Former Chairman of the Board - J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., an international commercial and investment banking firm Joined board 1992
  • Edward E. Whitacre, Jr. Chairman Emeritus - AT & T Inc., a diversified telecommunications company Joined board 1988

[14]

Anheuser Busch Lobbyists

[15]

External Lobbyists & Nature of Work Undertaken

Lobbying The US Government

In 2007 the firm spent $1.62 milion [17] and in 2008 $920,000[18] lobbying the following US governmetnal agencies

Affiliations

References

  1. ↑ Anheuser-Busch Website Company Information accessed 28th May 2009
  2. ↑ Anheuser Busch Website History accessed 28th May 2009
  3. ↑ Anheuser Busch Website History accessed 28th May 2009
  4. ↑ Open Debates Website CORPORATE CASH BEHIND '08 DEBATES accessed 29th May 209
  5. ↑ National Social Norms Institute, Home Page accessed 3rd March 2009
  6. ↑ Anheuser Busch College Issues Our Programmes accessed 29th May 2009
  7. ↑ Anheuser Busch Anheuser-Busch Foundation Gives $3 Million to Saint Louis University, Continues Record Investments in St. Louis Education accessed 28th May 2009
  8. ↑ Wisconsin Athletics 2008 Wisconsin Athletics Donorsaccessed 29th May 2009
  9. ↑ Fastweb Scholarships Anheuser Busch Scholarship accessed 29th May 2009
  10. ↑ University of California 01/08/2002 Anheuser-Busch Pledges $5 Million for Food Science Building accessed 28th May 2009
  11. ↑ Anheuser Busch History of Giving accessed 28th May 2009
  12. ↑ Anheuser Busch History of Giving accessed 28th May 2009
  13. ↑ Marin Institute Philanthropy accessed 28th May 2009
  14. ↑ Anheuser Busch Corporate Governance our Board accessed 29th May 2009
  15. ↑ Open secrets Center for Responsive Politics Lobbyists 2009 accessed 29th May 2009
  16. ↑ Open secrets Center for Responsive Politics Lobbyists 2009 accessed 29th May 2009
  17. ↑ Lobbying Report 13th August 2007 Office of Public Records accessed 29th May 2009
  18. ↑ Lobbying Report 21st July 2008 Office of Public Records accessed 29th May 2009
  19. ↑ International Conservation Caucus Foundation [http://www.iccfoundation.us/2007Gala/DinnerProgram.pdf U.S.Congressional International Conservation Gala Diner Invitation] accessed 29th May 2009
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