Our intention to produce locally Heineken beer intended for the French market also fits into this approach. With a view to this the brewery at Schiltigheim was adapted. During 1981 the production of Fleineken beer there will commence. In addition, a start was made at Schiltigheim on the installation of a second bottling line. Both there and at Mutzig the fermentation and storage capacity was mod ernized. The gradual replacement of the stock of barrels was completed. In the wage negotiations agreement was reached on a cost-of-living increase and a 1% wage increase. An agreement was also reached on adjustment of the num ber of personnel, especially through early retirement. A policy aimed at further improvement in industrial safety proved effective. Arrangements have been made to lo wer the level of noise nuisance in the operating es tablishments and to reduce polluting effects. The amounts devoted to training and instruction of per sonnel were well above the legally prescribed minimum. In Greece the beer market continued to show a favour able picture. In March 1980 we were able to increase the prices of beer. The continuing growth of our market share was gratifying, but for the immediate future we anticipate intensification of competition. The country appears to be becoming more and more attractive for the establish ment of other breweries. As in other countries, increasing influence of govern ment is noticeable in the field of energy saving and environmental protection. With a view to the latter, ap paratus for the treatment of waste water is being installed in our establishment at Thessalonika. The brewing and cellar capacity there was doubled. For the two production units (Athens and Thessalonika) a new labour agreement was concluded early in 1980. The working hours per week were somewhat shorte ned. In the industrial centres it is becoming more difficult to recruit semi-skilled and unskilled personnel. Sales in Italy were affected by a sharp increase in excise duty. In the slightly declining beer marketthe competition from imported beers increased. The price level was to some extent adjusted to the development of costs. Early in 1980 the brewery Moretti Sud S.p.A. at Popoli in Central Italy was acquired by our Italian subsidiary Dre- her, the second largest brewery group in Italy. This brew ery has a capacity of about 220,000 hectolitres. By this acquisition a more balanced spread of production units and distribution has been achieved. The brewery was made suitable for the production of Dreher beer. Further adjustments in the production capacity are in course of preparation. The brewery at Massafra was considerably extended. The construction of a waste water purification plant is in progress. We now possess five production units in Italy. At national level a new collective labour agreement for the foodstuffs industry was concluded in March 1980 which is due to run for a period of three years. It relates to almost our entire personnel, with the exception of mana gerial staff. A real improvement in wages is given in two ways. Everyone receives an equal amount, plus an amount linked to the weight of the job. I n the United Kingdom Fleineken sales were under press ure. Nevertheless the brand has stood up relatively well, having regard to the decline in total beer sales and the introduction of several new brands of lager beer. It is expected that Fleineken will manage to maintain its pos ition as one of the leading lager brands on the British market. As expected, there was a sharp increase in the otherwise modest sales of Fleineken beer in Ireland. Heineken sales in Norway were at practically the same level as in the previous year. Western Hemisphere For the first time for many years the course of affairs as awholeinthe United States was disappointing, though developments in the various states showed distinct differences. Sales in hotels, restaurants and cafés, the strongest market segment for Heineken, encountered the negative influence of the reduction in disposable income as a result of the recession. Competition from imports of foreign beers at relatively low prices was also noticeable. The economic recession, as well as the high level of interest rates, caused a substantial contraction of stocks in the distributive trade. Particularly as a result of this our shipments to the United States were under pressure. In the first half of 1980 the deliveries fell by 20%. Although the second half showed a considerable improvement, total deliveries were 8% down on the 1979 figure. In order to be able to follow and co-ordinate our activities in behalf of the American market even better, we have opened an office in New York. During the period under review a test was made in a number of states with low-calorie beer under the trade mark Amstel Light. Through a cautious pricing policy sales in Canada have recovered. Compared with 1979, there was a growth of 33%. In the Netherlands Antilles sales were up on the previous year. 23

Jaarverslagen en Personeelsbladen Heineken

Jaarverslagen | 1980 | | pagina 24