The Unethical Business Practices Performed By

Coors beer, a household name in the beer industry, is produced by the Adolph Coors Brewing Company which is based in Golden Colorado. Exactly how big is the Adolph Coors Brewing Company? As of 2001, the company ranked number three in beer sales, expanded into all 50 states. Currently Coors is the world's largest, single-site brewery. However, behind this imagery is a long history of discrimination, anti-labor policies, human rights violations and environmental ruin.

The company was started by Adolph Coors, a 26-year-old German immigrant. Since the age of 14, Adolph worked as an apprentice at the Henry Wenker Brewery in Dortmund until he was 21. In 1872, he had worked his way up in America, and had purchased a partnership in a Denver bottling company. He later became its sole owner. In 1873, he discovered the rocky mountain spring water located in the rich Clear Creek Valley east of Golden Colorado. It was there, that he decided to put up his own brewery called The Golden Brewery. Because of his marketing skills and experience in the brewery, the company was soon raking in profits. By 1880, Adolph was able to buy out his partner and became the brewery's sole owner.

The company survived a national depression, a devastating flood, the threat of Prohibition and even World War II. Despite these obstacles, Coors managed to double their profits and then underwent some changes and innovations. It introduced its currently best-selling beer, the popular Coors Light brand known as, The Silver Bullet. In 1959, Coors introduced the country's first all-aluminum two-piece beverage can and by the 1970's the aluminum beverage had already expanded both domestically and overseas.

Coors established its packaging facilities in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley and also in Memphis, Tennessee. Internationally, Coors products have reached Japan, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom and several other countries. Currently, Coors products are now sold in about 30 international markets.

One of the world's top ten brewers, Coors yearly sales has exceeded 32 million barrels already. The history behind the big success of Coors is not so happy and bright. Since the mid 70's, the company has discriminated against the gay and lesbian community. Although the company does contribute two percent of pretax profits to charitable causes nationwide. The Coors Foundation and the Castle Rock Foundation have funded and continues to fund Free Congress Foundation (FCF) headed by the homophobic Paul Weyrich and other homophobic groups. The group has funded an expatriate Cuban Roman Catholic priest, Enrique Rueda, to author a 500-page book titled "The Homosexual Network" which is filled with misconceptions about the gay people's struggle for equality. This book cited reasons as to why homosexuals and lesbians should be barred as teachers in Oklahoma schools. This same group was promoting and distributing the faulty research of Dr. Paul Cameron titled "The Model Sexuality Law". This philosophy of discrimination has generated legislation which is now moving through the Oklahoma Legislature.

The company defended itself by stating that the Coors family is in no way connected to the Coors Foundation and the Castle Rock Foundation which funded the anti-gay organizations. However, the people who run Coors are hired by the Company's Board of Directors and the family members which consist of the executive committee.

Ironically, the company claims to support the struggle of the gay community for equality with their Domestic Partners Benefits, but it continues to fund organizations such as the Heritage Foundation, The Free Congress Foundation, the Leadership Institute, the Institute on Religion and Public Life, Young America's Foundation, the Media Research Center, and the Center for Study of Popular Culture all of whom oppose gay lifestyles or partnership..

Another example of discrimination is when William Coors fought against the passage of the US Civil Rights Act. In 1984, according to The Rocky Mountain News, he told an audience composed of African-American businessmen that "blacks" don't succeed because they "lack the intellectual capacity."

In addition to discrimination, the company has a record of funding anti-labor, anti-environmental and other right wing groups through their Castle Rock Foundation. Coors supports the corporate secrecy laws referred to as Audit Privilege. This tactic states that a corporation is allowed to keep major information about their environmental violations as a corporate secret. The Coors Company is alleged to be discharging nine times more volatile organic chemicals than allowed under its state air pollution permit. The company is one of the largest dumpers of hazardous waste in Colorado says The National Catholic Reporter. Under the law, the company is also entitled