U.S. Secretary of Labor Visits Anheuser-Busch's Cartersville Brewery as it Halts Beer Production to Provide Emergency Drinking Water for Harvey Victims

Secretary Acosta and Anheuser-Busch President and CEO João Castro Neves give Labor Day remarks as company highlights commitment to workers and celebrates their dedication to helping impacted communities in Texas and Louisiana.

CARTERSVILLE, GA (September 4, 2017) – US Secretary of Labor R. Alexander Acosta marked Labor Day along-side Anheuser-Busch President and CEO João Castro Neves at the Anheuser-Busch brewery in Cartersville, Georgia to recognize the hard work of Anheuser-Busch employees to aid the victims of Hurricane Harvey.

"On this Labor Day, we reflect on how we built our great nation, and how we will rebuild after Hurricane Harvey," said U.S. Secretary of Labor Acosta. "The miners and the growers, the makers and the builders, the movers and the drivers, make all that we have possible. To Americans across the nation, including those who are filling nearly 1 million cans of water for survivors impacted by Hurricane Harvey, today we thank you."

The event coincided with the brewery halting normal beer production in order to produce additional emergency drinking water to aid disaster response efforts.  

“On behalf of all our Anheuser-Busch employees, our thoughts are with all those affected by Hurricane Harvey,” said Mr. Castro Neves. “Our whole team at Anheuser-Busch is grateful that we are in position to help communities in Texas and Louisiana in their time of need. A big part of that support is thanks to the amazing work of our team in Cartersville, GA. and our partnership with the American Red Cross. We are humbled to play a small part in their relief efforts around the country.”

Anheuser-Busch regularly pauses beer production to produce safe, clean emergency drinking water to help American communities in times of need. To ensure they are prepared to provide continued support to local communities, the Cartersville brewery paused beer production this weekend to can more water. Since Hurricane Harvey made landfall last weekend, Anheuser-Busch has donated eleven truckloads – over 560,000 cans – of emergency drinking water to communities in Texas and Louisiana; and recently made an additional $1 million commitment to relief efforts as part of the American Red Cross' Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP). Anheuser-Busch has also delivered a truckload of water and other supplies directly to its Houston brewery to help affected employees and their communities.

Anheuser-Busch has a longstanding tradition of providing water and supplies to those affected by natural disasters nationwide. In 2016, Anheuser-Busch produced and shipped emergency drinking water to communities hit by natural disasters, including the California wildfires, the Louisiana floods and Hurricane Matthew. Since 1988, the St. Louis-based brewer has provided over 76 million cans of drinking water to aid disaster-stricken areas.

ABOUT ANHEUSER-BUSCH

For more than 160 years, Anheuser-Busch and its world-class brewmasters have carried on a legacy of brewing America's most popular beers. Starting with the finest ingredients sourced from Anheuser-Busch's family of growers, every batch is crafted using the same exacting standards and time-honored traditions passed down through generations of proud Anheuser-Busch brewmasters and employees. Anheuser-Busch owns and operates 21 breweries, 21 distributorships and 22 agricultural and packaging facilities, employing more than 17,000 people across the United States.

ABOUT THE AMERICAN RED CROSS

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.