Beam Suntory facts for kids
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Formerly
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Beam Inc. |
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| Private | |
| Industry | Alcohol |
| Predecessor | Beam Global Spirits & Wine |
| Founded | 2011 (as Beam Inc.) |
| Headquarters |
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U.S.
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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Albert Baladi (President & CEO) |
| Products | Alcoholic beverages |
| Revenue |  US$3.1 billion |
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Number of employees
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4,800 |
| Parent | Suntory Holdings |
Beam Suntory, Inc. is a large company that makes many different kinds of alcoholic drinks. It started in America but is now part of a Japanese company called Suntory, which is based in Osaka, Japan.
This company is one of the largest makers of spirits (strong alcoholic drinks) in the world. Some of its main products include bourbon whiskey, tequila, Scotch whisky, Irish whiskey, Canadian whisky, vodka, cognac, and rum. They also make pre-mixed cocktails.
Contents
How Beam Suntory Started and Grew
James Beam began selling whiskey way back in 1795. By 1935, his family's business became known as the James B. Beam Distilling Company. Later, in 1945, a merchant named Harry Blum bought the company. He then sold it to American Brands, Inc. in 1968.
Changes and New Names
In 1987, the James B. Beam Distilling Company bought another company called National Distillers. After this, they changed their name to Jim Beam Brands Company. By 2005, the company was known as Jim Beam Brands Worldwide, Inc. That year, a company called Fortune Brands bought it.
Fortune Brands also bought 20 other brands in 2005. This made Fortune Brands one of the biggest whiskey makers around the world.
In 2006, the company changed its name again to Beam Global Spirits & Wine, Inc. Then, in 2011, it became its own independent company called Beam Inc. Three years later, in 2014, a Japanese company called Suntory Holdings bought Beam Inc.
Becoming Beam Suntory
Beam Inc. officially became its own company on October 3, 2011. This happened after its parent company, Fortune Brands, sold off other parts of its business. Beam Inc. then focused only on making spirits and related products.
In December 2011, Beam Inc. decided to buy Cooley Distillery for $95 million. Cooley Distillery was the only independent Irish whiskey maker at that time. In April 2012, Beam also bought the Pinnacle vodka and Calico Jack rum brands for $600 million.
In January 2014, Suntory announced it would buy Beam Inc. for about $13.6 billion. The deal was finished in April 2014, costing around $16 billion. That's when Beam became a part of Suntory and was renamed "Beam Suntory."
When Suntory took over, there was a bit of a culture change. Japanese managers suggested using a Japanese idea called kaizen. This means making small, continuous improvements to products, even to well-known ones like Jim Beam whiskey.
Recent Changes
In November 2015, Beam Suntory sold some of its sherry and brandy brands. These included Fundador, Harveys, Terry, and Tres Cepas. They were sold to a group from the Philippines called Emperador for 275 million Euros.
In March 2016, the company announced it would move its main office to the Merchandise Mart building in Chicago. Beam Suntory now uses a large space on the 16th floor of that building.
In January 2017, the Chicago Cubs baseball team and Beam Suntory announced a long-term partnership. This made Beam the official spirits partner for the Cubs and their home, Wrigley Field.
Products Made by Beam Suntory
Beam Suntory makes many different types of alcoholic drinks. Here are some of their well-known brands:
- Bourbon whiskey: Jim Beam, Maker's Mark, Old Grand-Dad, Old Crow, Baker's, Basil Hayden's, Booker's, Knob Creek
- Rye whiskey: Jim Beam Rye, Knob Creek Rye, Old Overholt, (rī)1
- Blended American whiskey: Kessler, Beam's Eight Star
- Scotch whisky:
- Single malt Scotch: Laphroaig, Bowmore, Ardmore, Auchentoshan, Glen Garioch
- Blended Scotch whisky: Teacher's Highland Cream
- Irish whiskey:
- Canadian whisky: Alberta Premium, Canadian Club, Tangle Ridge, Windsor Canadian
- Spanish whisky: DYC whisky
- Japanese whisky: Yamazaki, Hakushu, Hibiki, Chita, Suntory Whisky Toki
- World blended whisky: Oaksmith
- Tequila: Sauza, Hornitos de Sauza, El Tesoro de Don Felipe, Tres Generaciones
- Cognac: Courvoisier, Salignac, Branson
- Vodka: Pinnacle, VOX, Wolfschmidt, Gilbey's, Effen, Haku, Kamchatka
- Rum: Cruzan, Calico Jack, Ronrico
- Gin: Larios, Gilbey's, Calvert, Sipsmith, Roku
- Liqueur: Starbucks Liqueurs, After Shock, Castellana, Sourz
- Bourbon-Scotch fusion: Jim Beam Kentucky Dram
Other Brands and Sales
Besides the brands they make themselves, Beam Suntory also brings in and sells some brands made by other companies. For example, they import the DeKuyper cordial and the coffee liqueur Kamora. Beam's factories also make spirits for brands owned by other companies, like Calvert Extra blended whiskey.
The company used to sell Harveys Bristol Cream sherry and some brandy brands. These included Fundador, Terry Centenario, and Tres Cepas. However, they sold these brands to Grupo Emperador Spain S.A. In 2021, the Kamora and Leroux brands were sold to Phillips Distilling.
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