Track changes beer taps
31.05.2008 03:00
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- Source: JS Online
With only hours to go before a big race weekend at the Milwaukee Mile, Miller Brewing is out and Anheuser-Busch is in as a key marketing partner at the track. Milwaukee Mile officials confirmed Friday night that Anheuser-Busch Cos. and Beechwood Distributing, a major Wisconsin beer distributor, had snagged a deal with the track to become a marketing partner in the domestic beer category. Craig Stoehr, chairman of the Milwaukee Mile, said Bud signage would replace Miller signs in time for a busy race weekend. Today, qualifying events are scheduled. On Sunday, it will be the marquee event: the ABC Supply/A.J. Foyt 225 IndyCar Series race. "Anheuser-Busch and Beechwood are the new marketing partners," Stoehr said. "We expect it to be a multiyear arrangement, and we are very excited about it." Stoehr said Anheuser-Bush beer products would be available all weekend, but added that some vendors would still be selling Miller beer. Miller Brewing Co. spokesman Julian Green, however, said it was his understanding that no Miller products would be available on the track grounds. Asked why the change was made so close to the beginning of the race weekend, Stoehr said sometimes negotiations "can go down to the wire. When you are negotiating with a potential sponsor, it takes time. Even though it took time, we look at this as a new era at the Mile." Stoehr said Miller had been a great partner in the two years since his group took over the track, and for many years beforehand. "It turned out that, in this particular year, Bud and Beechwood pursued us aggressively." Green said negotiations had been going on since last fall. "We told them last year we were not interested in the same sponsorship deal we had previously," Green said. "From a business standpoint, we weren't convinced we could leverage the deal in the marketplace and in retail." Milwaukee Mile officials said more details of the Budweiser marketing deal would be revealed. In coming weeks, Beechwood Distributing will unveil a new promotion that will allow race fans to receive a free NASCAR Nationwide Series ticket with a purchase. In a prepared statement, Dave Hock, vice president of sales and marketing for Beechwood, said his firm was "thrilled to be involved with the rich heritage of auto racing at the Milwaukee Mile." The firm employs 1,080 employees and has $237 million in capital investment in the state, Hock said.
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