Editing Anheuser-Busch (section)

===Post-acquisition changes===
On November 18, 2008, the [[hostile takeover]] was completed, and the [[parent corporation]] was renamed Anheuser-Busch InBev; Anheuser-Busch became a [[wholly owned subsidiary]] of the new corporation, controlled within the North America zone unit of AB InBev. By early 2009, AB InBev "turned a family-led company that spared little expense into one that is focused intently on cost-cutting and [[profit margin]]s, while rethinking the way it sells beer."<ref name="wsjchanges">{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB124096182942565947 |title=Unease Brewing at Anheuser As New Owners Slash Costs |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date=April 29, 2009 |access-date=April 30, 2009 |first1=David |last1=Kesmodel |first2=Suzanne |last2=Vranica |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090430134003/http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124096182942565947.html |archive-date=April 30, 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref>  AB InBev focused on reducing costs in the Anheuser-Busch Companies subsidiary and implemented performance-related pay,<ref name="wsjchanges"/> along with several other changes. They immediately laid off 1,400 employees and 415 contractors,<ref name="layoffs">{{cite web |url=http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/lager-heads/uncategorized/2010/01/small-number-laid-off-today-at-anheuser-busch-inbev/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20100118075843/http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/lager-heads/uncategorized/2010/01/small-number-laid-off-today-at-anheuser-busch-inbev/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 18, 2010 |title=Small number laid off today at Anheuser-Busch InBev |publisher=St. Louis post Dispatch |date=January 15, 2010 |access-date=February 6, 2010}}</ref> sold Busch Entertainment Corporation, and sold company-owned [[aircraft]].<ref name="loschmanagement.com">{{cite news |url=http://www.loschmanagement.com/content/bitter-brew |title=Bitter Brew |publisher=Losch Management |date=April 2013 |access-date=September 19, 2013 |archive-date=November 29, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131129024127/http://www.loschmanagement.com/content/bitter-brew |url-status=live}}</ref>

For employees, AB InBev ended [[perquisite]]s such as executive assistants for senior management, company contributions to the salaried employee [[pension]] plan, and company-provided [[life insurance]] to retirees; it also reduced the number of company-provided cell phones, taking back 1200 Blackberries;<ref name="loschmanagement.com"/> and ended tuition reimbursement, and [[severance package]]s. Perks like free tickets to [[St. Louis Cardinals]] baseball games and for [[Busch Gardens]] were taken away from employees. Anheuser-Busch stopped providing free beer to its employees and visitors to its theme parks.<ref name=":0"/> These internal changes accompanied changes in its [[advertising]]. These cost-cutting measures rapidly reduced AB InBev's debt from $56.6 billion in 2008 to $30.1 billion at the end of 2012. When the restructuring was complete, only three senior-level Anheuser-Busch managers remained.<ref name="loschmanagement.com"/>

InBev auctioned off several large assets in an effort to pay off debt to the banks that financed the merger.<ref name=":0">p 334 ''Dethroning the King, The Hostile Takeover of AnHeuser-Busch, An American Icon'',  [[Julie MacIntosh]]</ref> It sold Anheuser's 27% stake in China's [[Tsingtao Brewery|Tsingtao]], sold a few beverage can and lid-making plants to Ball Corporation, and sold its own [[Beer in South Korea|Korean beer]] business for $1.8 billion to [[private equity]] firm Kohlberg Kravis and Roberts & Co.<ref>p. 356 ''Dethroning the King, The Hostile Takeover of AnHeuser-Busch, An American Icon'' – [[Julie MacIntosh]]</ref> It put the 10 theme parks in Anheuser's Busch Entertainment Unit, which included its three [[SeaWorld]] locations, up for sale.<ref name=":0"/>

Under InBev, Anheuser-Busch also lengthened [[accounts payable]] terms, and introduced [[zero-based budgeting]]. These changes caused concern from its suppliers when Anheuser-Busch announced it would take 120 days to pay its bills rather than 30 days, taking time to use that money for other purposes. The new payment policy often results in longer periods than 120 days, since the 120 days starts from the end of the month in which the invoice is 'approved' internally, which can be many days/months after an invoice is submitted.<ref name=":0" />

InBev signed a 10-year lease on 31,500 square feet of office space on [[Park Avenue]] in [[New York City|New York]], which led to speculation that they would move Anheuser-Busch InBev North American headquarters from [[St. Louis|St Louis]].<ref>[[Julie MacIntosh]], ''Dethroning the King'', p. 335</ref>

In February 2013, a widely publicized lawsuit accused AB InBev<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21597076 |title=Drinkers sue Anheuser-Busch for 'watering down' beer |work=[[BBC Online]] |access-date=February 27, 2013 |date=February 26, 2013 |archive-date=February 27, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130227050538/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21597076 |url-status=live}}</ref> of "watering down" products including Budweiser and Michelob. Such beers are intentionally brewed over-strength and then "watered down" to the intended level, creating a product of equal or greater quality.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mooseheadbeeracademy.com/high-gravity-brewing-risks-benefits-considerations/ |title=High Gravity Brewing – risks, benefits and considerations |work=Moosehead Beer Academy |access-date=October 13, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018044301/http://www.mooseheadbeeracademy.com/high-gravity-brewing-risks-benefits-considerations/ |archive-date=October 18, 2015 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/02/28/173076501/budweiser-may-seem-watery-but-it-tests-at-full-strength-lab-says |title=Budweiser May Seem Watery, But It Tests At Full Strength, Lab Says |date=February 27, 2013 |work=NPR |access-date=October 13, 2015 |archive-date=October 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151016064746/http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/02/28/173076501/budweiser-may-seem-watery-but-it-tests-at-full-strength-lab-says |url-status=live}}</ref> The lawsuit was dismissed.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/judge-dismisses-lawsuits-alleging-a-b-waters-down-beer/article_428f5a24-0d32-5062-95ab-c8162f13cb86.html |title=Judge dismisses lawsuits alleging A-B waters down beer |author=Lee Enterprises |work=stltoday.com |date=June 3, 2014 |access-date=October 13, 2015 |archive-date=August 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140820173352/http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/judge-dismisses-lawsuits-alleging-a-b-waters-down-beer/article_428f5a24-0d32-5062-95ab-c8162f13cb86.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

Of Anheuser's top executives, only three remained in their jobs following the acquisition: [[Dave Peacock (businessman)|Dave Peacock]] as president of the merged company's US division; Gary Rutledge as general counsel for the company's North American business; and Bob Golden, Anheuser's former acquisitions head, as global head of the merged company's [[mergers and acquisitions]] effort.<ref>p. 350 Dethroning the King, The Hostile Takeover of Anheuser-Busch, An American Icon – Julie Macintosh</ref>