Dear Molson Coors,
I contact you in pursuit of the right way. Your company culture claims to place a high priority on doing business in this manner. I am asking today if your actions support those proclaimed ethics. Specifically, I am addressing the sale for development of the Molson Coors property that includes the Applewood Golf Course along 32nd Avenue in Golden, Colorado.
Our community has enjoyed a symbiotic relationship with Coors since the founding of the brewery. The Coors family and Molson Coors employees are our neighbors, friends with our children and members of our churches. Not only are the people of Molson Coors an integral part of the community but also the brewery itself and the property adjacent to it are landmarks for us – distinctive and majestic. Anyone spending time here is aware of the stunning beauty of our area. So beautiful, the Coors brand has featured it’s association with the land for years. This lovely and defining property includes our community golf course where generations of Applewood families gather not only for golf but family and community events. The drive along 32nd Avenue is a treasure – resplendent in every season with trees creating a curtain that opens at intervals to reveal the stunning glory of the valley and Table Mesa – inspiring and satisfying the souls of those who see it.
The developer, Scott Carlson, is seeking to rezone that land and fill it with 450 new homes. This not only jeopardizes the natural resources and esthetic of the land but our schools, air, wildlife and roads – all things that create the fabric and identity of our community. This actions seems counter to the culture your company professes when they say, “Around the world, Molson Coors Brewing Company invests in the communities where we do business, supporting activities that engage people in active and healthy activities that improve their communities.”
I applaud the Molson Coors idea of improving your “Beer Print”. It speaks of a culture of integrity when a company considers the legacy their presence leaves locally and globally. That commendation is in jeopardy however, not simply from me, but from the entire Applewood Community if your actions cannot meet the standard your words set. Your company Responsibility Report states, “As we say at Molson Coors, we have a duty to ourselves, the communities we live in, the suppliers we work with, the customers we serve and the beer drinkers we seek to delight to always do the right thing. Our guide to doing the right thing is our Code of Business Conduct, Living Our Values. Together with our Values, the Code helps us to ensure our decisions and actions are consistent with the “right way ””.
The redevelopment of this land is devastating to our community and the only appearance of “rightness” is the financial profit that can be made. However, I implore you to count the cost. There is so much more than money at stake. The question really comes down to, does Molson Coors send out one message with words and another with actions when they say, “There is winning at all costs and there is winning the right way”? We are cheering and hoping the right way wins.
Robyn White