Grolsch should again bring growth Japanese brewer Asahi – Financieele Dagblad

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it is likely that the 400 year old Grolsch brewery in Enschede is in Japanese hands. Wednesday was beer company Asahi Group in Tokyo known to have made a binding offer for Grolsch.

Asahi will pay € 2.55 billion both Grolsch, Italian brewer Peroni as the small British Meantime beer. These three brands are up for sale because the current owner SABMiller will merge with the Belgian-Brazilian AB Inbev. By divesting the three European brands, need to avoid competition authorities to stop this mega merger.

Ageing Japan

Asahi sees the acquisition of Peroni and Grolsch an excellent opportunity to expand. In rapidly aging Japan, where Asahi market raises his namesake beer brand is related to the brewer with a declining beer consumption. In a press statement, the group proposed the lucrative domestic market, although regarded as the “cornerstone” to continue to generate revenue. But the “overseas business” sees it explicitly as the “growth engine”.

Asahi for the Dutch beverage producer Lucas Bols a good friend . For years, the Bols liqueurs in Japan are distributed through the upcoming Grolsch owner. “Pleasant, reliable and with a good sense of partnership ‘, describes Bols director Huub van Doorne, the Japanese company.

Bols

Asahi has its beverage portfolio significantly expanded besides beer also sell wine and spirits in their own country. “We have gone there,” says Van Doorne. “It has led to a marked strengthening of our position in Japan.” Bols liqueurs are then sold mainly to the local hospitality industry

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Grolsch itself these days informs its staff about the impending takeover. An opinion on the Japanese bidder does not necessarily express the brewer, as a spokesman explained.

Springboard

When Grolsch has approximately six hundred people based in Enschede. According to FNV director Jan Verhoeven The acquisition does not have to unpack affected. “Perhaps they see Grolsch as a springboard for the European market. That could be beneficial, especially since there is a lot of capacity left in the company.

Asahi concerns exclusively the current owner SABMiller consultations to finalize definitive acquisition in the second half of this year. The Japanese thereby not get the rights to Grolsch and Peroni to sell in the United States.

Super Dry Beer

Asahi converted a turnover of € 14.5 billion in 2015. By comparison, Heineken’s turnover around € 20 billion. Outside Japan, the company is mainly active in other Asian countries. With Grolsch and Peroni Asahi may soon sell its own Super Dry Beer through the distribution channels of Grolsch and Peroni. Conversely, the two European brands should soon veer towards Asian distribution network Asahi.

Grolsch will soon add € 297 million to revenues increasing. Peroni is € 348 million turnover a size bigger. This 160 year old brand hammered unlike Grolsch recent years internationally firmly on the road. The aggregate operating profit of Grolsch, Peroni and Mean Time is around € 45 million Across Bloomberg Bernstein analyst Trevor Stirling said that Asahi ‘full price’ pay

Grolsch is the fourth known Dutch company that falls into Japanese hands. Late last year, employment agency Recruit made an offer of € 1.4 billion for rival USG People, which this should be the European base of the Japanese company. Two years ago, Robeco asset into the hands of Orix, a Japanese financial conglomerate. Canon in 2011 took over the Dutch printer manufacturer Océ in Venlo.