- Wine
The sales of wine by Coebergh B.V. proceeded satisfactorily.
Agreement was reached regarding the complete incorporation of the Rotterdam wine business
M. Reuchlin Zn. B.V. in our concern.
As a result of the trend of sherry prices in Spain and the sluggish growth of the market for fruit-
based wines, the year was not quite so satisfactory for Van Olffen B.V.
- Distribution
Our policy with regard to participations in wholesalers, which we have already mentioned in
previous Annual Reports, was continued without change.
- Production
At 's-Hertogenbosch an extension of the brewhouse was built, as well as a barge-discharging
installation for malt. In addition, the fermentation capacity was increased by the erection of five
vertical conical tanks with a capacity of over 4,000 hectolitres each. Finally, there was a further
extension of the storage cellars and a new beer canning line was taken into use.
In the brewery on the Mauritskade in Amsterdam several older bottling lines were replaced by
a single new line with larger capacity.
The work on the new brewery at Zoeterwoude continues to proceed satisfactorily; construction
has been substantially completed and the assembly of the installations has progressed to such an
extent that the commissioning of part of the brewery - i.e. the bottling plant - may be anticipated
in April 1974.
Since the Nederlandse Gasunie no longer wishes to guarantee uninterrupted supply, both when
concluding new contracts and when renewing existing ones, we shall by force of necessity have to
switch back in all our establishments to the possibility of also using oil-firing.
France
In our previous Report we mentioned the fact that we had acquired a majority interest in the Albra
group, established in Strasbourg.
Part of this interest was transferred to Malayan Breweries Ltd. Through the purchase of shares
a majority interest was acquired in Brasserie de Mutzig S.A., of Mutzig, which had an interest in
the Albra group; the remaining shares of Brasserie de Mutzig are almost entirely held by Brasserie
de l'Espérance.
During the past year, with the assistance in many fields of the organization in the Netherlands,
close attention was paid to the introduction of policy criteria as applied by us at home and abroad.
We trust that in this way the group's position in the French market can be considerably strengthened.
Exports of Heineken beer to France showed a further increase.
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