McDonalds has officially cut its ties with Heinz. The event itself is not too big of a deal. I just don’t get my Heinz Ketchup when I eat at McDonald’s any more. It’s not like I even eat there often. What is significant is how it happened. McDonald’s cut its ties with Heinz because of management changes for Heinz.

“A former Burger King CEO became head of Heinz in June after the company was bought by Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway and 3G Capital. 3G, a Brazilian investment firm, also controls Burger King.”

Heinz was bought out by a different company, who is also affiliated with Burger King (and by affiliated, I mean that the company owns Burger King). Obviously, McDonald’s wouldn’t want to form a partnership with a company that is so closely affiliated with it’s competitors.

The business world is constantly changing and adapting. Takeovers, buyouts, partnerships, there are many things that influence relationships with different companies. Heinz was bought out, management changed, management just so happened to be affiliated with Burger King, and now I don’t get Heinz Ketchup at McDonald’s. One thing that happens to a business has a chain reaction that ultimately ends up affecting the customer.

Good thing it’s just ketchup.