18 Dec 2014 --- ST. LOUIS.Anheuser-Busch announced a $150 million expansion project at its Metal Container Corporation facility in Arnold, Mo. As part of the company’s plan to increase production of the popular Budweiser and Bud Light aluminum bottles, the project will create approximately 70 new jobs at the facility and double the company’s aluminum bottle capacity in the U.S.
“As our company invests in a key innovation that is driving our business, we are proud to base it here in our hometown that has a strong local workforce and where we have a great partnership with the City of Arnold and Mayor Counts,” said Luiz Edmond, CEO of Anheuser-Busch. “The Budweiser and Bud Light aluminum bottles are great additions to our product line-up, and what drives our business also can help drive growth and development in this area. We thank the workers here and the City for its support as we work to please beer drinkers across the country with this phenomenal new package.”
The facility expansion is made possible through an incentive program in collaboration with the City of Arnold and Jefferson County. The bond program is designed to encourage business recruitment and expansion and provides incentives for a variety of industrial projects. Missouri Works Program, the state’s Department of Economic Development program that helps create and maintain valuable jobs, also contributed incentives to this project.
“I’m pleased that Anheuser-Busch has chosen to increase their investment in the Arnold community. This project is another milestone in the partnership between Anheuser-Busch and Arnold which benefits the local and regional economy by creating more good-paying jobs,” said the Honorable Ron Counts, Mayor, City of Arnold. “I appreciate Anheuser-Busch’s commitment to our city and the St. Louis region and I look forward to our future success as community and economic partners.”
In 2013, Anheuser-Busch completed a $130 million project at the Arnold facility that added aluminum bottle production capabilities. The investment is a second phase in expanding production of the popular aluminum bottle and reflects Anheuser-Busch’s focus on strategic investments in its operations.
“Expanding our ability to make popular and innovative packaging options like the aluminum bottle increases the competitiveness of our facility and creates sustainable local jobs,” said Cheryl Rogers, Arnold plant manager, Metal Container Corporation. “Our employees, local leaders and the Arnold community are a part of our success, and we are pleased to make business investments that benefit all of our stakeholders.”
Metal Container Corporation, a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch, operates seven facilities in the U.S. The operation also produces cans and lids for major U.S. soft drink companies, including PepsiCo. and Monster Beverage Corporation.
For more than 160 years, Anheuser-Busch and its world-class brewmasters have carried on a legacy of brewing America’s most popular beers. Starting with the finest ingredients sourced from Anheuser-Busch’s family of growers, every batch is crafted using the same exacting standards and time-honored traditions passed down through generations of proud Anheuser-Busch brewmasters and employees. Best known for its fine American-style lagers, Budweiser and Bud Light, the company’s beers lead numerous beer segments and combined hold 47.2 percent share of the U.S. beer market. Anheuser-Busch is the U.S. arm of Anheuser-Busch InBev and operates 14 breweries, 17 distributorships and 23 agricultural and packaging facilities across the United States. Its flagship brewery remains in St. Louis and is among the global company’s largest and most technologically capable breweries.
