The $ 52 billion deal between Anheuser-Busch, the largest brewer in the U.S. and Belgian brewer InBey, is reportedly through. This would shift ownership of the largest U.S. brewer to an overseas company, making it the largest brewer in the world, and the fourth largest consumer product company in the world.

InBey is the maker of Stella Artois and Becks, the world’s second largest beer brewer after SAB Miller, while Anheuser-Busch with more than 48% of the U.S. market share is the largest in the country.

InBey’s initial offer of $ 65 a share on June 11, was termed too low by Anheuser, and subsequently raised to $ 70. The new company’s name would be Anheuser-Busch-InBev and Anheuser would have two seats on the company board said Wall Street Journal who cited anonymous sources.  For St. Louis, it would mean a big change as the name Anheuser-Busch is woven into its cities fabric since 1864, with it’s name carried on an assortment of buildings, and offices to even the stadium where the Cardinals play.  

Missouri politicians are also not too happy at the merger and how it would affect the approximate 6,000 people employed by Anheuser-Busch in St. Louis. SaveBudweiser.com is a web site that claims to have more than 60,000 signatures from people opposing the merger, while SaveAB.com held an anti-merger rally drew hundreds of people to downtown St. Louis.

InBey has not said anything about layoffs though cutbacks do seem likely. The Belgian company did though say it plans to use St. Louis as its North American headquarters, and keep all 12 of Anheuser-Busch's North American breweries open.

Anheuser to try to avoid the merger hoped to cut $ 1 billion, in cost cuttings efforts called “Blue Ocean”, by cutting pension as well as health benefits for salaried employees, and offering early retirement to 1300 salaried workers 55 years or older. The rising costs for transportation fuel and key ingredients have been reasons for the beer industry uniting.