Anheuser-Busch Receives ‘Best Diversity Company’ Award from Diversity/Careers Magazine

Anheuser-Busch was named “A Best Diversity Company” by Diversity/Careers in Engineering & Information Technology magazine readers, the publication announced today. The brewer of the world’s largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light, was ranked among the 100 organizations scoring highest with readers. Survey participants identified the diversity strengths of corporations, government agencies and other organizations that employ technical professionals in the United States.

“Anheuser-Busch is proud to be recognized once again for our efforts to promote a culture of inclusion at our company,” said Tim Farrell, vice president, Corporate Human Resource, Anheuser-Busch Cos., Inc. “This award is especially gratifying because it recognizes the company’s focused diversity efforts in typically male-dominated IT fields and it reflects the public’s appreciation of those accomplishments.”

Survey participants identified the companies they associate most strongly with a number of diversity attributes. The results identify companies that are doing the best job of supporting and communicating with the diverse technical community. The results show which organizations scored highest with readers for their support of minorities and women, attention to work/life balance and commitment to supplier diversity.

Anheuser-Busch has had a diversity supplier program for nearly 25 years. It is the company’s goal to work everyday to continue its commitment to supporting and improving communities where it does business. The Anheuser-Busch “Partners in Economic Progress” program has assisted more than 3,200 women- and minority-owned businesses to provide products or services to the company, which totaled more than $336 million in spending in 2006.

Anheuser-Busch’s community outreach supports causes and organizations in a wide variety of communities and population segments. The company also has marketing departments designated to support efforts in the Latino, Urban/African-American, Asian and Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual and Transgender (LGBT) communities. In addition, the company, its foundation, employees and independently-owned wholesalers provide financial donations to national and local organizations, such as United Way and Komen Race for the Cure® , just to name a few.

Initiatives to aid employees with work-life balance issues include on-site, free fitness centers, homemade dinners to go, on-site health screenings, such as mammography, and ongoing programs and training regarding work safety and wellness. Employees may also participate in diversity committee activities at each brewery and are rewarded for cost-saving operations ideas and contests for visiting their primary care physicians.

Readers took the online survey in the spring and results are reported in an article in the magazine and on its Web site. “Our readers are the ones who know which companies support them best,” said Diversity/Careers publisher and Renard Communications owner and president Roberta Renard. “We are pleased to share their perceptions with the public.”