Elephant-size: Beer Thai Third brewery in Kamphaeng Phet up and running since May 2002

It’s an almost unbelievable story. A saga without precedent in the international brewing community. We’re talking about the spectacular rise of Beer Thai to become the leading player on Thailand’s beer market. Last year, the one-time newcomer had already inaugurated its third brewery, bigger and better than its two predecessors. With the capacity installed at its three facilities, Beer Thai could easily serve the entire market.

But the investment has been made with an eye to the future, and has allowed for further overproportional growth on the domestic market and a vigorous export campaign. Ltd., to produce beer and mineral water. In 1992, Thailand’s beer world was still totally unclouded - at least as far as the current market players were concerned.
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O’Hoy - new captain of CUB

Following organisational changes at Foster’s, Trevor O’Hoy has been appointed Managing Director of Carlton & United (CUB), Foster’s Australian division, which includes brewing, Australian Leisure & Hospitality (i.e. gambling and pubs) and the Continental Spirits Company. O’Hoy has moved to the role from Chief Financial Officer of Foster’s - a position he has held since 1997. Jim King, the former Managing Director of CUB has been appointed to the expanded strategy role at Foster’s as Senior Vice President strategy and business development, reporting to CEO Ted Kunkel. Could it be that after years of playing musical chairs, Foster’s has finally found the right person to groom to follow Ted Kunkel?

In the Cherry Orchard with Lopakhin Changes in the Russian beer market

The Russian economy makes up its own rules as the politicians don’t seem to help. Brewers especially are subjected to rising taxes, advertising bans and weak consumer growth.

Has anyone ever wondered why all Russian restaurants west of St Petersburg look like the interior of the Imperial state train? We suppose the last Czar had one. Wherever you go it’s the same scenario of dark red velvet curtains, snowy white linen, flickering candles, the gurgling samovar and melancholy waiters who offer you a menu which reads: pelmeni, ustritsy kiroi, leninvye schi, seliodka pod odeiaolom, manti. How tragically romantic. (The waiters of the Russian Tearooms in Chicago are presumably all Latinos but still manage to look melancholy. Lubov Andreyewvna Ranevskaya, a.k.a. Lubov Andreyevna or Luba.

At their door step

American brewing giant Anheuser-Busch and Carlsberg are not the only ones that are taking a great interest in the huge Chinese beer market. So are the Japanese brewers who entered China in the 1980s and 1990s when growth prospects in their domestic market were dwindling.
However, they suffered a fate similar to other foreign brewers. Faced with stiff competition from local brewers, they have had to fight hard for their niche. Some even produce low-price beers to keep their plants busy. But selling large volumes is not enough to secure profit-ability. That’s why they have
all come up with some sort of initiative this year, revolving around the launch of new products, which shall help boost sales. Last year it sold 23. Some 20 researchers will be employed locally.1 million hl..

Carlsberg Asia acquires brewery in China

Also in January, Carlsberg Asia reported it has acquired through its subsidiary Carlsberg Brewery Hong Kong Ltd. the entire share capital of the Chinese brewery Kunming Huashi Brewery Company Ltd. from the Zhejiang K.K. Group. According to Carlsberg, the acquisition is subject to the approval of Chinese authorities. The brewery is situated in Kunming, the biggest city of the Yunnan province in the south western part of China, bordering Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar.
The Kunming brewery has about 600 employees and a capacity of 600,000 hl beer. Carlsberg believes that there are significant growth possibilities in a province with a population of 43 million with an annual per capita consumption of beer of only 4.2 litres. The average per capita consumption in China is 18 litres..

Tsingtao’s shareholders welcome Anheuser-Busch

In January 2003, Tsingtao Brewery Co Ltd, China’s largest brewer, announced that its shareholders had approved a strategic investment to be made by Anheuser-Busch (A-B). The St Louis-based brewer and maker of Budweiser and Bud Light beers, said last October it would boost its stake in Tsingtao to 27 percent by the end of the decade. Like many other international brewers, A-B had initially entered China on the assumption it could take on the domestic brewers head on. It has since learnt the lesson that it makes greater financial sense to seek a partner in order to enhance its foothold in China, the world’s second largest beer market.
Under the deal, Tsingtao will issue convertible bonds to Anheuser-Busch in three instalments valued at around US$182 million in total..

A family affair?

At the beginning of February 2003, the board of Southcorp, Australia’s largest wine producer, sought and obtained the resignation of CEO Keith Lambert with immediate effect. Southcorp’s CEO Keith Lambert was forced to resign, just two weeks after the wine making giant had delivered its second earnings downgrade in less than a year. The board, including Lambert’s father-in-law Bob Oatley, asked the chief executive to leave.
Lambert is married to the daughter of Southcorp deputy chairman Oatley, the founder of Rosemont Estates which merged with Southcorp in July 2001. Bob Oatley and his son, Sandy Oatley, who is also on the Southcorp board, are directors of Reline Investments, which is Southcorp’s biggest shareholder.1 million for fiscal 2003..

Us and Oz

There seems to be no stopping the Australians. First it was the Foster’s Group, which tied the knot with the American wine producer Beringer Wine Estates in 2000. Now it’s Foster’s Australian competitor BRL Hardy, who has proposed a merger with the Constellation Brands group of America. If the merger is okayed - Constellation Brands is bidding US$1.9 billion (10 February 2003) - it will create the world’s biggest wine company worth more than US$ 5 billion with annual sales of US$ 3 billion. BRL Hardy’s brands include Banrock Station, Hardy’s Nottage Hill, Eileen Hardy and Leasingham. For some years now, Australia has been the driving force in the interna- tional wine industry. Australian wine exports rose from A$180 million in 1991 to A$2. The UK is Australia’s biggest market..

See you in court

New Zealand has banned the Czech brewery Budejovicky Budvar from using the traditional Budweiser trademark in the country, but Jiri Bocek, CEO of Budejovicky Budvar, claims that the decision is not a definitive one. Err, really?
Bocek was quoted as saying that while the ruling bans Budejovicky from using the trademark, at the same time it also confirms the validity of the trademark for Budejovicky Budvar beer. However, the implication is that that American brewer Anheuser-Busch now holds the right to use the trademark in New Zealand. Budejovicky Budvar, which has been fighting for its right to make use of the Budweiser trademark across the globe, is currently caught up in about 40 legal disputes with Anheuser-Busch, as well as in about 40 proceedings at patent offices..

Heineken to buy majority stake in Dinal Brewery

It may be a large central Asian country with a population of only 16 million of whom 47 percent are Muslims, but its ethnic Russians and Ukrainians certainly enjoy a beer every now and then. That’s why Heineken has increased its stake in the brewery Dinal, located in the former capital of Almaty (1.2 m inhabitants) from 28 percent to 51 percent. Heineken first bought into Dinal in 1999 when the brewery came on stream. Its capacity is reported to be 300,000 hl of beer annually; estimated sales for 2002 are 180,000 hl. Last year, turnover was EUR8 million. Dinal has a market share of 8 percent with its local brand Tian Shan and the international brand Amstel. 800,000 hl), also located in Almaty.
BBH has identified substantial potential for growth in Kazakhstan.4 million hl..