Johannesburg - As Anheuser-Busch InBev’s R1.5 trillion bid for rival brewer SABMiller is finally accepted by the home-grown company, here’s a look at what the Belgian brewer is all about.
1. AB InBev’s heritage originates from the Den Hoorn brewery in Leuven, Belgium, dating back to 1366 and the Anheuser-Busch brewery, which traces its origins back to 1852 in St. Louis, US.
2. In 1987 the two largest breweries in Belgium merged: Artois, located in Leuven, and Piedboeuf, located in Jupille signaling the formation of Interbrew, the former name of Anheuser-Busch InBev.
3. From 1887, a series of mergers took place that took the brewer outside of Belgium and into countries such as Hungary, Canada, Russia, the UK, and Germany.
4. In 2000, the company listed in Belgium before consolidating its position in China.
5. Four years later, InBev was formed when Interbrew merged with AmBev.
6. In 2006, InBev acquired the Fujian Sedrin brewery in China, making InBev the number 3 brewer in China - the world's largest beer market.
7. On November 18, 2008, InBev closed a deal with Anheuser-Busch, creating Anheuser-Busch InBev, the leading global brewer and one of the top-five consumer products companies in the world.
8. That deal was followed by three other acquisitions.
9. AB InBev is now a company that turns over over more than $47 billion a year and produces 200 beers via its 155 000 staff in 25 countries.
10. Its brands include Budweiser, Corona and Stella Artois. Its international brands include Beck’s, Leffe, and Hoegaarden; and local champions Bud Light, Skol, Brahma, Antarctica, Quilmes, Victoria, Modelo Especial, Michelob Ultra, Harbin, Sedrin, Klinskoye, Sibirskaya Korona, Chernigivske, Jupiler and Cass.
IOL