It announced on December 8, 2010, that it would focus on its liquor business, and spin off or sell other parts of the company including home furnishings, hardware and golf products.

On October 3, 2011, it split the remainder of its business into two publicly traded companies: Fortune Brands Home & Security[4] and Beam Inc.. On January 13, 2014, Suntory (headquartered in Osaka, Japan) announced it would buy Beam Inc. for about $13.6 billion.

In the late 1960s, with health concerns seen as posing an increasing threat to the tobacco business, management decided to diversify into other fields and changed the corporate name to American Brands, Inc. Brown & Williamson acquired the tobacco division in 1994.

[9] In 1987 American Brands acquired ACCO, a holding company which owned several office supply subsidiaries.

The home and hardware division reached annual sales of over $4 billion, from Waterloo Industries, Moen faucets, Fypon, Therma-Tru doors, Simonton windows, Master Lock, American Lock, and Vista Window Company, Western Division.