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COMMUNITY RELATIONS
Brewing giant uses plant to produce drinking water for Ukraine
By our News Team | 2022
Anheuser-Busch InBev repurposes Belgian brewing facility to fill 500,000 cans of water destined for Eastern European war zone.
As the situation in the Ukraine worsens, businesses around the world are responding in various ways to help those who are caught up in the conflict.
Among them is the Budweiser Brewing Group in the UK and Ireland, which has announced it is temporarily repurposing its Leuven brewery in Belgium to produce half a million cans of still water that are being delivered to the war-wracked country.
The cans are being taken to border checkpoints in Poland and Moldova for distribution to refugees and others. Infrastructure within Ukraine, including water supply and purification, has been extensively damaged by the fighting.
Photo credit: Anheuser-Busch InBev via LinkedIn
Statement says brewer ‘standing in solidarity’
In a media statement the brewing group, which is part of global brewing giant Anheuser-Busch InBev, said it is “standing in solidarity with the people of Ukraine”.
It added: “Our wider AB InBev team remains in close contact with our 1,800 colleagues in the country and we are doing everything in our power to support the safety and security of our colleagues and their families. We want to help further where we can.
“We are One Team, One Family at AB InBev, and we are proud to see the emotional support and care shared amongst our entire team in Europe and from across the globe.”
The company is known for community relations initiatives of this kind. For example, in 2018 it shut down some of its beer lines to get more than 300,000 cans of drinking water to people in need after Hurricane Michael struck parts of the United States.
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