By AP/KWMU
St. Louis, MO – St. Louisans have had months to grow accustomed to the creation of Anheuser-Busch InBev, which today became the largest beer company in the world.
Carlos Brito, the CEO of AB-InBev, sounded a positive note about the possibilities for future success.
"Today is the number one day of a company that will be among the top five consumer good companies in the world. A company with revenues of 36-Billion dollars, employ 120,000 people and being able to really tap into the vast knowledge and experience of both companies," he said.
But completion of the takeover has still raised concerns about what the loss of local ownership will mean for the region's economy. The brewer employs about 5,700 people in the St. Louis area and pays roughly $32 million in state and local taxes.
AB-InBev, now headquartered in Belgium, says it has not made any additional changes to its work force, and says it remains committed to the St. Louis community.