One of Iowa’s oldest wholesale distributors, Ike Auen Distributing, was recognized last week during Anheuser-Busch InBev’s annual conference in Nashville for reaching the 75-year milestone with the world’s largest brewer. Jim Auen, the company’s president, says it was a great feeling to be recognized by AB InBev’s leadership for its long-standing partnership.
The Carroll-based distributor’s history of local ownership began in 1950 when Ike and Dorothy Auen purchased the distributorship from a Red Oak family. Auen says they are grateful to their customers and clientele for their loyalty over the last 75 years, especially considering local grain ends up in AB InBev products.
The company is now heading into the fourth generation under the same family. Auen says a lot has changed since they began. In 1950, Iowa had 74 beer wholesalers. Now, there are only 16, which he says is the result of consolidation within the industry. Auen says the company diversified its product portfolio in the 1980s, which helped it weather the ups and downs of the last four decades.
AB InBev still makes up a vast majority of Ike Auen’s lineup, but the diversity of offerings paid off when products rose or waned in popularity. Auen says he is proud to say Ike Auen is family-owned and looks to stay that way for years to come.
While not one of AB InBev’s largest wholesalers, Ike Auen Distributing boasts the third-largest market share in the country.
