6
The Primus Award:
reward for better quality
Familiar green
colour in Cuba
"Jonge Korenwijn
new product of Spirits
and Wine Group
General managers
get together in
Venice
Primus, the beer brand produced by a number of our
Ibecor breweries in Africa, was faced with a quality pro
blem several years ago. Primus simply did not meet the
high quality standards that Heineken sets for its products.
Spirits and Wine Group-Holland, part of the Heineken
concern, has launched a new product in Holland under
the Bokma brand name. It is called "Jonge Korenwijn"
and contains 35% alcohol by volume. Old and young
genevas (Dutch gins) were already on the market under
the Bokma brand.
Mr. H.F.M. Coebergh,mem
ber of the Heineken N.V.
Executive Board and
responsible for Heineken's opera
tions in Africa, decided last year to
institute the Primus Award to encour
age employees to brew a good qual
ity of Primus beer. The award was
presented for the first time this year
to the "administrateurs délegués" of
the breweries which have success
fully brought Primus beer up to that
constantly high standard and also
kept it there.
Messrs. Kruidenier (Bralima, Zaire),
Boreel (Bralirwa, Rwanda) and
Verwilghen (Brarudi, Burundi) were
recently presented by Mr. Coebergh
with the gold, silver and bronze
Primus Awards respectively. This
presentation took place during a
working visit by the Ibecor manage
ment to Heineken's head office in
Amsterdam.
From left to right: Messrs. Verwilghen,
Boreel and Kruidenier, the respective
winners of the bronze, silver and gold
Primus Awards. In the centre: Messrs.
Coebergh and Siertsema (Ibecor
general manager).
Mr. Kruidenier felt that winning the
Primus Award was a great stimulus
for his brewery which, despite its
many problems in the past, was now
brewing an excellent quality of
Primus beer. In his speech Mr.
Coebergh emphasised that the award
symbolised recognition for the efforts
not only of the "administrateur
délegué", but also of the Heineken
Technical Services staff and the local
brewery employees.
During a market reconnaissance trip to the island of Cuba by employees of
our Heineken office in Curasao they came across a familiar sight: the green
colours of Heineken cans. To their amazement they were delighted to see that
Heineken was the only foreign beer that the barman had on offer besides the local
brews. The barkeeper had even built a small display to promote Heineken sales.
In Cuba imported beer can be sold only in "dollar shops". These are shops, bars
or restaurants which are much frequented by tourists and where goods must
be paid for in American dollars. Heineken is the leading brand of imported beer
in Cuba.
The general managers of our European operating companies (from Holland,
Ireland, France, Italy, Spain and Greece), plus employees from the corporate
staff and export departments, recently got together for their combined annual
meeting, the European General Managers Meeting. Mr. G. van Schaik, vice-
chairman of the Executive Board, presided over the meeting. This year's venue
was the picturesque city of Venice. During the meeting, which lasted several
days, the main points discussed were the position of our brands in Europe and the
future of our European operating companies in and around 1995.
During their stay the participants also paid a visit to the Dreher brewery in
Pedavena. Our photograph shows the group of managers in Pedavena's splendid
brewing hall.
The special taste of "Jonge
Korenwijn" stems from the
addition of barley wine
(matured in oak casks and then dis
tilled). All ingredients for "Jonge
Korenwijn" - barley wine, the grain
alcohol and the distilled herbal
extracts - are produced within the
business itself.
With its launch of Bokma "Jonge
Korenwijn" the Spirits and Wine
Group is responding to the growing
demand from Dutch consumers for
high-quality, speciality drinks.
The new product is expected to win
friends both inside and outside the
circle of geneva drinkers.
A big advertising campaign has been
set up for the introduction of "Jonge
Korenwijn". The focus is on adver
tisements in daily papers, news
magazines and general interest
magazines.
Bokma is market leader in the geneva
segment in Holland. Last year the
Dutch consumed 43 million litres of
young geneva and over 1 million
litres of old geneva.