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.

Jaarverslagen en Personeelsbladen Heineken

Heineken International Magazine | 1987 | | pagina 6