Anheuser-Busch has announced a new investment of more than $20 million in its Missouri operations, aimed at expanding production capacity for key beer brands and strengthening manufacturing workforce training capabilities.

The investment will be directed towards upgrades at the company's flagship brewery in St Louis and its can manufacturing facility in Arnold, Missouri.

The funding will support increased production of fast-growing brands, including Michelob Ultra and Busch Light, while also financing the creation of a new technical skills training centre at the St Louis brewery.

The announcement forms part of Anheuser-Busch's broader Brewing Futures initiative, a $600 million investment programme spanning 2025 and 2026 focused on modernising US operations, creating manufacturing jobs and developing workforce skills across its network.

According to the company, the latest investment will help expand capacity for Michelob Ultra, which it describes as the nation's top-selling and fastest-growing beer, as well as Busch Light, currently the leading beer brand in Missouri.

Brendan Whitworth, CEO of Anheuser-Busch, said: "We've proudly called St Louis and the state of Missouri home for more than 165 years, and our commitment to strengthening this community and making a positive impact across the state has never been stronger."

Whitworth added: "Investments at this scale in our facilities and our people ensure that our St Louis Brewery remains at the heart of Anheuser-Busch, supporting continued growth and driving economic prosperity in our hometown for decades to come."

A key component of the investment is the establishment of a new technical skills training centre within the St Louis brewery. The facility will serve as an extension of the company's Technical Excellence Center and will be one of 15 new training centres planned nationwide.

The programme is designed to provide employees with advanced training across mechanical, electrical, digital and operational disciplines. Anheuser-Busch aims to train more than 90% of its manufacturing workforce over the next five years, building on the more than 2,600 employees who have completed training through its St. Louis Technical Excellence Center since 2022.

As part of the initiative, Anheuser-Busch will also relocate the historic animated "A & Eagle" sign from its former Newark facility to its flagship St Louis campus, where it will serve as a symbol of the company's brewing heritage and long-standing manufacturing presence.

The investment follows Anheuser-Busch's induction into the Missouri Manufacturers Hall of Fame earlier this year and reinforces the brewer's position as one of the largest manufacturing investors in the US beverage sector.