Letter: Opposition to Owensboro deal amounts to ‘crying wolf’

To the editor, 

At first, I thought better of weighing in on a matter which, frankly, shouldn’t even be up for debate—a transaction between two private companies that should receive perfunctory approval by the state. But when I read the recent letter in this newspaper from some local brewers criticizing the sale of an Owensboro beer distributor to Anheuser-Busch, I just couldn’t sit idly by.

I know a little bit about the beer distribution business and about working with Anheuser-Busch. I am an owner and President of Smith Brothers Distributing Company in Bardstown, a family-owned, Anheuser-Busch distributing partner. We have worked with them for 65 years. We know these people, and they have been a very good partner and a good corporate citizen in our community.

So forgive me if I was a little insulted to see folks take low-level pot shots at Anheuser-Busch for being “foreign-owned”. Last time I checked, Anheuser-Busch still has a huge presence in the United States, still employs thousands of great Americans, and still pumps a lot of good money into the American economy.

The assertion that Anheuser-Busch is attempting to purchase the Hand family’s Budweiser of Owensboro distributorship in order to monopolize beer distribution is absurd. Anheuser-Busch has operated as a distributor in Kentucky for almost 40 years with none of the Chicken Little, sky-is-falling problems these small brewers claim will happen if the Owensboro sale is allowed to proceed.

In fact, Kentucky’s craft beer industry is booming! This is particularly true in Louisville where Anheuser-Busch has distributed beer since 1978. How is this possible if what the opponents of this transaction say is true?

The bottom line is this: Both Anheuser-Busch and the Hand family’s Budweiser of Owensboro are private businesses and thus, they should be able to complete this legal transaction as provided by Kentucky law. Those who are claiming that this transaction will be the end of the craft beer scene in Kentucky are ignoring the facts in order to further their own agendas.

Don’t be fooled. Kentuckians will still be able to enjoy all their favorite beer brands including craft beer and local brews. I’ll put my trust in 40 years of actual Kentucky experience rather than Chicken Little’s fear-mongering.

Francis X. Smith, President
Smith Brothers Distributing Co​

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