AB InBev invests US$30M to boost Michelob Ultra production in Florida
AB InBev expands Michelob Ultra capacity in Florida amid strong volume gains and shifting US brewery operations.
USA – Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) is planning to increase production of Michelob Ultra in the United States following strong recent volume gains by the brand.
The brewer announced it will invest US$30m in its brewery and metal container plant in Jacksonville, Florida, as part of efforts to support rising demand.
In a statement, AB InBev said the investment will be used to upgrade brewing tanks and bottling lines at the Jacksonville site. The company said the upgrades are intended to “fuel” higher output of Michelob Ultra, which it described as the “top-selling” beer in the US by volume.
Brendan Whitworth, chief executive officer of Anheuser-Busch, AB InBev’s US arm, said the investment underscores the company’s commitment to its leading brands and manufacturing footprint.
“Investing in our Jacksonville facilities enables us to brew more of the highest-quality American beers that consumers love, including Michelob Ultra, the number-one, top-selling and fastest-growing beer in America,” Whitworth said.
He added: “Investments like these are incredibly important because they help us to enhance our operations while also sustaining jobs and driving local economic growth in the communities where we operate.”
The production expansion follows a recent extension of the Michelob Ultra portfolio. Earlier this week, AB InBev launched Michelob Ultra Zero Lime, a non-alcoholic beer with 0.0% alcohol by volume and 39 calories per serving.
The company said the new product is aimed at consumers seeking lighter, flavour-forward options that align with active and health-conscious lifestyles.
Last month, the company announced plans to close breweries in Fairfield, California, and Merrimack, New Hampshire, and to sell its brewery in Newark, New Jersey, to Goodman Group.
Around 475 staff were affected, although AB InBev said it would offer all impacted employees “a full-time role elsewhere in our US operations.”
At the time, the brewer said it would shift production from the three facilities to other US sites, noting that the changes would allow it to invest more heavily in its remaining operations and growing brands.
AB InBev opened the Jacksonville Brewery in 1969 and added its Metal Container Corporation facility at the site in 2016. In its third-quarter results filed in October, the brewer described Michelob Ultra as “now the number-one brand in the industry,” citing US market data showing it as the leading brand by volume year-to-date.
Despite the brand’s performance, AB InBev reported a 1.2% decline in US revenue in the first nine months of 2025, while EBITDA rose 1.1%.
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