What do you think about InBev's takeover of Anheuser-Busch?

Question

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080714/ap_on_bi_ge/anheuser_busch_inbev

Answer 1

I mostly hope nobody loses their job over this.  I respect that AB has been successful all these years and hate to see a great American institution be bought by a foreign company.

Answer 2

Is  anything sacred? Lets  all come to my  house and  get drunk off of our butt and  save the beer. Or   we  can just drink martinis..

Answer 3

It is not good.

This is the problem with InBev.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3...

Answer 4

This makes me feel so uncomfortable because just as China keeps buying up our debt (which I believe they invested up to 80% of it) more and more foreign companies are purchasing domestic companies taking the money out of America. We should be the nation buying out foreign companies, our future as a former world superpower looks dim and disturbing.

Answer 5

i dont care much for AB brews, but after reading the book "Ambitious Brew" i at least respect them for doing what they can to keep their business alive.

Budweiser is bland because we want it to be, and with a 40% share of the market, who says theyre doing bad?

anyway, i'm not worried about the takeover, i think the beer will be the same, but they might expand into different styles to compete with slowly rising craft beer markets.

Answer 6

My first worry is for our economy and exporting jobs and corporations. My second concern would just be for our culture's traditional brands and identities. Imagine if this company goes on to buy Coca-Cola - do you think people would be more upset about that than they are about this?

Answer 7

Have to agree with Bob ,Bud by far is the raunch heck pabst blue ribbon tastes better so inbev can only improve it.

Answer 8

They can't make the brew any worse

Answer 9

It's gotta improve it, it's gotta. I really can't see anyone in Europe drinking Bud Lite.

Answer 10

Actually, being a beer judge I can say it is decent beer. Not full of flavor but clean with a nice hint of green apple. i think it is a shame. The local craft breweries are next.

Answer 11

US brewing giant Anheuser-Busch agreed to a $50 billion takeover by Belgium-based InBev NV, which in turn will create the world's largest beer maker. Anheuser-Busch was started 148 years back in St. Louis, when Eberhard Anheuser bought Bavarian Brewery in 1860. Later on, his son-in-law Adolphus Busch took over and then began the Busch family’s dominance. InBev was formed when Leuven-based Interbrew SA bought Sao Paulo- based Cia.de Bebidas das Americas, or AmBev, in an $11 billion transaction. Its portfolio includes more than 200 brands.

This takeover comes after a month of court fights and public disputes over the future of Anheuser-Busch. InBev’s improved purchase offer of 70-dollar-a-share has put an end to their hostility. Three months earlier, it had offered 65-dollar-a-share. Once this deal gains regulatory approval, it would be the largest in alcoholic drink history and the second biggest of a U.S. consumer-goods company. The combined company will be called Anheuser-Busch InBev. The combination of Anheuser-Busch and InBev will create the global leader in the beer industry and one of the world's top five consumer products companies. It would offer consumers about 300 brands, including Anheuser's Budweiser and Bud Light and InBev's Stella Artois and Beck's.

The company will make St. Louis, Missouri the headquarters for the North American region and the global home of the flagship Budweiser brand. Anheuser-Busch will get two seats on the new company's board, its current president and CEO August Busch IV and another current or former director from the Anheuser-Busch Board.

The expanded company will aim to have leading positions in the world's top five markets - China, U.S., Russia, Brazil and Germany and balanced exposure to developed and developing markets. The transaction will create significant profit potential both in terms of cost savings and revenue enhancement.

Answer 12

well i decided that they will not get my 50 dollars a week but the thing is any other beer you buy has a foreign owner coors is owned by a canadian co and miller is owned by an south african co why does everything have to be globalized why cant we have something for ourselves we are sending all of our money overseas and north and south of the border our pockets are being tapped dry and all this transaction will do is cost more american jobs and knock the small breweries out of business

Answer 13

A Mexican company already owns 50% of AB, so what's the big deal about a Belgian company owning 100% of it?  They can't make it taste worse.