Beam Goes Live On Fourth Street In Downtown Louisville

DEERFIELD, Ill., July 15, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Beam Inc. (NYSE: BEAM), a leading global premium spirits company, today celebrated the grand opening of its new Global Business Services Center, located at 408 S. Fourth Street in downtown Louisville. The center establishes a highly visible corporate presence for the world's No. 1 Bourbon maker, Beam, in the heart of Fourth Street Live!, and further adds to Beam's growth in the Commonwealth. A total of 30 professionals have already been recruited and hired for positions ranging from human resources to finance.

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As part of a companywide efficiency and effectiveness initiative, Beam's Global Business Services Center combines select financial and human resources transactional activities into one centralized hub.  The center, which opened last fall out of a temporary work space in Shepherdsville, Ky., acts as the primary point of contact for Beam's North America business in the areas of benefits, compensation, accounts payable, payroll and other key business processes.  Additional positions operating out of the center are expected in the future.

"The Bourbon industry is a key driver of our economy throughout the Commonwealth, and Beam is on the forefront of that growth," said Governor Steven Beshear. "With the opening of Beam's Global Business Services Center right in downtown Louisville, we are pleased that Beam is once again raising the profile of one of our home state industries and bringing more jobs to our families in Kentucky."

"We are thrilled that Beam has chosen Louisville and has built office space that is front and center on Fourth Street," said Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer. "This is job creation at its finest, and with Beam as one of the state's largest employers, we couldn't be more pleased to have the company right in the heart of our downtown, bringing new professional jobs to the city."

"Thanks to the support of Governor Beshear, Mayor Fischer, the entire city of Louisville and the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority, we couldn't be more proud to further deepen our commitment and presence in the Commonwealth," said Tom McPartlin, vice president global business services at Beam. "We've already recruited top talent from the area, and as we continue to expand our processes and capabilities spearheaded by the center, we expect to hire additional professional positions and continue to grow for the future in Kentucky."

Upon announcing the site in November, Beam has invested approximately $1.7 million in building materials and equipment to retrofit the office space. Beam occupies a total of 24,000 square feet of the building's second floor. Local firms were used in the construction including Rick Ogburn, TEC Services, PLC, who has served as project director for the Global Business Services build-out as well as Beam's recent construction and opening of its new Global Innovation Center and Jim Beam American Stillhouse visitors' experience in Clermont. Whittenberg Construction served as the general contractor.

The Louisville Global Business Center announcement follows last fall's grand opening of the Jim Beam American Stillhouse visitors' experience and Global Innovation Center, a combined multi-year investment of $30 million, in Clermont, Ky. Beam currently employs more than 875 people throughout the Commonwealth at its manufacturing plants in Boston, Clermont, Frankfort and Loretto.

About Beam Inc.
As one of the world's leading premium spirits companies, Beam is Crafting the Spirits that Stir the World.  Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company's brands, including Jim Beam Bourbon, Maker's Mark Bourbon, Sauza Tequila, Pinnacle Vodka, Canadian Club Whisky, Courvoisier Cognac, Teacher's Scotch Whisky, Skinnygirl Cocktails, Cruzan Rum, Hornitos Tequila, Knob Creek Bourbon, Laphroaig Scotch Whisky, Kilbeggan Irish Whiskey, Larios Gin, Whisky DYC and DeKuyper Cordials.  Beam is focused on delivering superior performance with its unique combination of scale with agility and a strategy of Creating Famous Brands, Building Winning Markets and Fueling Our Growth. Beam and its 3,400 passionate associates worldwide generated 2012 sales of $2.5 billion (excluding excise taxes), volume of 38 million 9-liter equivalent cases and some of the industry's fastest growing innovations. 

Headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, Beam is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol BEAM and is included in the S&P 500 Index and the MSCI World Index.  For more information on Beam, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamglobal.com and www.drinksmart.com.

© 2013 Beam Inc., Deerfield, IL

SOURCE Beam Inc.