What Will St Louis Do Without Anheuser-Busch?

Anheuser-Busch has finally reached a deal with InBev to buy the St. Louis based brewery for $49.9 billion dollars, according to Bloomberg.com. The $70/share takeover of the 156-year-old brewery finally ends months of speculation and uncertainty and the only question left unanswered is "now what?" Now the people of St. Louis will wait anxiously to see whether or not their beloved brewery will leave them behind. As a resident of St Louis, I know first hand the role that Anheuser-Busch has played in our city and I know how dearly they will be missed if they leave.

When people think of St Louis they usually think of two things: The Arch and Budweiser Beer. Anheuser-Busch has played a huge role in the development of St Louis. Large charitable donations and ongoing community support have earned them thousands of loyal St Louis fans and the brewery is still one of the best places to work. Our Cardinal baseball stadium is even named Busch stadium and throughout the city, the famous Budweiser logo can be seen on everything from baseball caps to T-shirts. Their community support is legendary and one I have had a chance to witness first hand.

Five decades ago, the 281-acre ancestral home of the Busch family opened its' doors to the public and became known as Grant's Farm. The farm houses more than 1000 animals, over 100 different species from six continents. Grant's Farm is entirely run by volunteers and admission is FREE. That's right...FREE. Once you are there, a tram takes you on a guided tour through the scenic park and ends by the children's petting zoo where your little ones can feed and pet baby goats. After you've seen the elephants, the camels and all the many animals there, you can have lunch in the German style pavilion and sample freshly brewed Budweiser beer. Grant's Farm is also home to some of the Clydesdales and is open to public viewing throughout the year. I have taken my children many times to Grant's Farm and I am never disappointed. It still remains one of the best places in St Louis to take the entire family.

In addition to Anheuser-Busch's charitable community spirit, they employ more than 6000 St Louis men and women. If Anheuser-Busch leaves St Louis, many families will feel the strain as they deal with unemployment. In today's economy, that would be a terrible blow to the city and to its residents. For now, many people are speculating that Anheuser-Busch will stay in St Louis and I for one sure hope so. The old brewery will now be known as Anheuser-Busch InBev and they will become the world's largest beer maker. I just hope they remember the little city that got them there and the people who've been there every step of the way.