CAREER & MONEY
ENTREPRENEUR SPOTLIGHT
WILLIAM K. BUSCH
St. Louis-based William K. Busch Brewing Company
is the new chapter in the Busch family brewing story,
recently celebrating its four-year anniversary with Billy
Bush as president and chief executive officer.
of those medals in 2015, including the fourth gold medal
in a row at the U.S. Open Beer Championship, breaking the
record. Billy’s family legacy in the beer business dates back
to the mid-1800s when Adolphus A. Busch opened a small
brewery in St. Louis. With its two brands, Kräftig lager and
The company has won 22 beer competition medals since its Kräftig light, William K. Busch Brewing is not associated
inception, and continued to grab headlines by winning six
with AB InBev or any of its affiliates.
ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP
My wife, Christi, and I started this company along with our seven children to carry on the
Busch Brewing tradition. This has been both exciting and challenging. People are happy
to hear we are carrying on the story. There has been a lot of excitement from consumers
about the great taste and high quality of Kräftig and Kräftig light, and we continue doubledigit sales growth. The challenge is growing our business in a very competitive market.
However, due to the quality brewing process which follows Reinheitsgebot (the German
Beer Purity Law), the stronger flavor of our beer, and the quality of the people working
for the company, we are seeing very good sales trends. Another exciting aspect of our
company is our family’s involvement. Our oldest son, Billy Jr., graduated from the University
of Mississippi (Ole Miss) where he played five years of football and is now bringing his work
ethic to the William K. Busch Brewing Company. We expanded into Texas this year, where
Billy Jr. has become an integral part of the company’s growth.
FEARS
The high expectations of living up to the Busch legacy was a little daunting. The Busch family
did a lot for the beer business, for St. Louis, and for the country, which has really motivated us.
Brewing the highest quality, best tasting beer, and building a great team, which includes great
wholesalers has helped us overcome a lot of challenges in building the business.
MOTIVATION
Carrying on a family tradition. Building a business my family can be proud of and the next
generation can be a part of were big motivators, as well as positive feedback from consumers.
INSPIRATION
Besides God and my family, it’s the people who come up to me and say how much they love
our beer and how much they appreciate that we are continuing the Busch brewing legacy.
Billy Busch Jr.
GOALS
I believe we make the highest quality, best tasting American premium lager and light lager
on the market. The trends we have been able to achieve to date have been tremendous,
especially when you consider the premium beer business has been relatively flat overall.
We are working to continue to expand into other markets throughout the country. We are
currently in Missouri – in St. Louis, mid-Missouri, Southeast Missouri, Rolla and Springfield.
We are also in western Illinois and in south Texas, which includes Houston, Austin and San
Antonio. We are also currently looking to expand on new styles of beer, and with enough
sales and growth, we plan to have our “dream” brewery in St. Louis.
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WORDS OF WISDOM FOR ENTREPRENEURS
Have a point of difference and believe in your product. Never cut corners on quality
and build a strong team around you, because you cannot do it by yourself. Create good
relationships with people, including your team, suppliers and your consumer. Always give
150 percent when you’re starting your own business, because 100 percent is not good
enough! If you do that, no matter what happens, you will always know you gave it your all.
For more information, visit www.Kraftig.com or follow the brand on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Billy Busch
GAZELLE STL