Economy & Economic Development  June 23, 2015

Anheuser-Busch plans $45M in investment at Fort Collins brewery

FORT COLLINS — Anheuser-Busch InBev said Tuesday it will invest $45 million at its brewery in Fort Collins, part of an overall plan to invest more than $1.5 billion in its U.S. brewing, agriculture, packaging and distributing operations by 2018.

The beer company plans to build a new can line at 2351 Busch Drive in Fort Collins that will process 2,250 slim, 12-ounce cans per minute. It also will build 25,000 square feet of warehouse space to bring its total warehouse space to 420,000 square feet.

Forty new full-time manufacturing jobs are expected to be added in Fort Collins. An Anheuser-Busch spokesperson said the company doesn’t provide an employee count for each facility, but it employs 1,050 throughout Colorado.

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Since 2011, more than $50 million has been invested in the Fort Collins brewery to add new capabilities, increase efficiencies and sustain existing operations, including expansion of a brewhouse and fermenting cellar.

“The can line investment will allow our brewery to continue our legacy of brewing and packaging the highest-quality beer, including Budweiser and Bud Light,” said Kevin Fahrenkrog, general manager of Anheuser-Busch’s operations in Fort Collins, in a prepared statement. “The new can line reflects our commitment to Fort Collins, the state of Colorado and being a leader in the brewing community here.”

Breaking down the $1.5 billion investment, Anheuser-Busch plans to spend an estimated $850 million on brewery and packaging expansion projects, $220 million on product innovation initiatives and $720 million in sustaining and increasing efficiency of its existing operations.

Other projects include:

$150 million expansion project at the St. Louis-area Metal Container Corp. facility to increase production of Bud Light aluminum bottles.

$20 million in capital investments at the Los Angeles brewery to add water efficiency and treatment capabilities.

$18 million in investments at the Columbus brewery, including a sustainability project that will reduce energy needs by recovering heat for use in fueling the operation.

$12 million invested in the company’s historic St. Louis brewery for various improvements, including projects to conserve resources and support innovations.

$11 million to develop and integrate new products, including Bud Light MixxTails and Oculto across multiple breweries.

FORT COLLINS — Anheuser-Busch InBev said Tuesday it will invest $45 million at its brewery in Fort Collins, part of an overall plan to invest more than $1.5 billion in its U.S. brewing, agriculture, packaging and distributing operations by 2018.

The beer company plans to build a new can line at 2351 Busch Drive in Fort Collins that will process 2,250 slim, 12-ounce cans per minute. It also will build 25,000 square feet of warehouse space to bring its total warehouse space to 420,000 square feet.

Forty new full-time manufacturing jobs are expected to be added in Fort Collins. An Anheuser-Busch spokesperson said the…

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