Hold on to your butts: Anheuser-Busch to invest $2 billion in U.S. brewing strategy by 2020

If you suddenly felt a cold chill mid-day May 15, 2017, it might be because Anheuser-Busch announced new, bold plans to invest in its U.S. operations — to the tune of $500 million in 2017 and $2 billion through 2020. This is among the largest ever capital investment programs in U.S. brewing history. Here’s a live look at the announcement:

Yea, not a very informative press conference, but here are the 2017 investments we found on its website:

• Over $200 million for brewery and distribution projects
• $180 million for product packaging and innovation initiatives
• $58 million to improve and increase sustainability at our facilities

Diving in further, you can see how its recent craft brewery acquisitions were just phase one of this much broader country-wide investment battle plan (note the shout out to Elysian below). Batten down the hatches, everyone. Whatever that phrase means, its feels like an appropriate thing to do now.

Individual investments in the new capital expenditure program

$82 million to enhance nationwide supply chain operations and to build new, state-of-the-art distribution facilities in Los Angeles and Columbus.

$28 million at the Fort Collins brewery to expand production of aluminum bottle products and increase diversity of products through installation of dry hop capabilities.

$18 million at the Williamsburg brewery on new technology and equipment to maintain quality and to install new labeling machines.

$15 million to begin innovative cross brewing capabilities at the Fairfield brewery through Elysian partnership, including significant updates to brewery infrastructure.

$12 million for the Cartersville brewery to install a new multi-packer to diversify packaging capabilities, as well as new programming and metering devices to increase energy efficiency.

$13 million to the St. Louis brewery, including updates to the beechwood-aging tanks and several other initiatives that allow for production capability of new brands, as well as investments to increase sustainability.

$11 million to expand aluminum bottling capabilities at the Jacksonville brewery, as well as upgrades to improve energy efficiency.

$11 million to begin innovative cross brewing capabilities at the Merrimack brewery alongside craft partners.

$10 million in continued investments at the Los Angeles brewery to add water efficiency and treatment capabilities.

$10 million to the Baldwinsville brewery to increase production of non-alcoholic product offerings, mainly Teavana, and to install a new multi-packer.

$8 million to the Houston brewery to begin brewing the popular Michelob Ultra Lime Cactus product and to expand aluminum bottle production.

$7 million to the Columbus brewery to support various improvements, including projects to conserve resources and to develop and integrate new products.

Mondays, meh: Enjoy some fun Tweets about the Wicked Weed/AB InBev transaction