Anheuser-Busch Delivers Canned Water to Gowanda and Silver Creek Flood Victims

BUFFALO, N.Y. (Aug. 18, 2009) – Anheuser-Busch is providing 2,156 cases – or approximately 51,000 cans of drinking water – to residents in the Gowanda and Silver Creek areas in response to destruction brought on by recent flooding.

The water was shipped this week to local Anheuser-Busch wholesaler, Arthur R. Gren Co., Inc. in Jamestown, NY. The water is expected to arrive Wednesday, Aug. 19 at 1 p.m. at Gowanda Elementary School and Gren Distributing will work closely with local emergency services to distribute the water to local residents in the two communities.

“It’s important for communities to pull together and lend a helping hand, and
Anheuser-Busch is proud to provide drinking water to these people in need,” said Peter Kraemer, vice president of Supply for Anheuser-Busch.  “Our company has a long and valued relationship with our friends in throughout New York, so we felt this is one way we could assist the region in its time of need.”

Last year, Anheuser-Busch and its distributors provided a total of 165,354 cases – or more than 3.9 million cans – of packaged drinking water to victims of natural disasters.  These included wild fires in California; hurricanes in Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Texas and Midwest flooding in Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin.

Since 1988, Anheuser-Busch has donated more than 67.5 million cans of drinking water following natural disasters.

“Anheuser-Busch is in a unique position to provide water to those in need.  Few corporations have the infrastructure to package beverages and distribute them quickly to 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.”

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 packages fresh drinking water and donates it to emergency relief organizations for distribution to those in need. 

Based in St. Louis, Anheuser Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 49.2 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.  Anheuser-Busch ranked No. 1 among beverage companies in FORTUNE Magazine’s Most Admired Global Companies list in 2009.  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.  The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the leading global brewer, and continues to operate under the Anheuser-Busch name and logo.  For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.