Anheuser-Busch Pre-stages Drinking Water in Advance of Hurricane Gustav
ST. LOUIS (Aug. 29, 2008) – To prepare for potential needs, Anheuser-Busch has prestaged more than 32,250 cases—or 774,000 twelve-ounce cans—of drinking water to aid relief efforts in markets along the Gulf of Mexico. With Hurricane Gustav now bearing down on the region, relief agencies are thankful for that foresight.
In anticipation of hurricanes and tropical storms, Anheuser-Busch delivered the drinking water over the last several weeks to 10 local Anheuser-Busch wholesalers, including Rex Distributing in Gulfport, Miss., and Mockler Beverage in Baton Rouge, La. If needed, the water will be shipped to an area in need and distributed by the American Red Cross and other relief agencies.
The drinking water was packaged at the Anheuser-Busch Jacksonville, Fla., brewery and Metal Container Corp. in Jacksonville, a subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch Cos., supplied the cans. The delivery of the water was made possible by several independent carriers.
“No matter when and where disaster strikes, Anheuser-Busch and its wholesalers are always among the first on the scene, helping our neighbors get back on their feet,” said Peter Kraemer, vice president of operations for Anheuser-Busch. “It’s important for communities to pull together and lend a helping hand in times of need and we’re proud to provide packaged water to those affected by Hurricane Gustav.”
Last year Anheuser-Busch and its distributors provided a total of 88,298 cases—or more than 2.1 million cans—of packaged drinking water to victims of natural disasters. These included ice storms in Oklahoma, Kansas and Iowa; tornadoes in Florida, Alabama, Arkansas and Texas; wildfires in California, Florida and Georgia; and flooding in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Ohio, Texas and Kansas.
This summer Anheuser-Busch donated more than 14,000 cases of safe drinking water to victims of flooding and storms in Charleston, W. Va.; Terre Haute, Ind.; Cedar Valley and Burlington, Iowa; Canton, Mo.; Quincy and Lawrenceville, Ill.; Windsor, Wis.; and Salina, Kan. The company also provided drinking water to firefighters battling northern California wildfires.
“Anheuser-Busch is in a unique position to provide water to those in need. Few companies have the infrastructure to package beverages and distribute them quickly to our local wholesalers,” said Kraemer. “When a natural disaster strikes, very simply put, we have a responsibility to package and provide water to our neighbors, and we’re proud to do so.”
Since 1988, Anheuser-Busch has donated 63.5 million cans of drinking water following natural disasters.
Helping communities cope with natural disasters has been an Anheuser-Busch tradition since 1906 when Adolphus Busch made a donation to victims of the San Francisco earthquake. Today, in addition to providing monetary support, Anheuser-Busch breweries package fresh drinking water and donate it to emergency relief organizations for distribution to those in need.
Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 48.5 percent share of U.S. beer sales. The company brews the world’s largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light. Anheuser-Busch also owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico’s leading brewer, and a 27 percent share in China brewer Tsingtao, whose namesake beer brand is the country’s best-selling premium beer. Anheuser-Busch ranked No. 1 among beverage companies in FORTUNE Magazine’s Most Admired U.S. and Global Companies lists in 2008. Anheuser-Busch is one of the largest theme park operators in the United States, is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and one of the world’s largest recyclers of aluminum cans. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.