19 significant role. This had a positive effect on the sales of our operating company Birra Dreher S.p.A., which also achieved a further increase in its market share. Both the local brands and the Heineken beer brewed at Dreher showed a rise in sales. Margins also improved. During the year under review Dreher increased to 70% its interest in Sarde Produzioni Agricole Industriali S.p.A. at Cagliari, Sardinia, in which company a minority interest was already held. S.P.A.I. has a brewery in Sardinia with a capacity of 300,000 hectolitres, which markets beer under the Ichnusa brand. Considerable investments were again made in the Dreher breweries during 1986. In the establishments at Popoli, Pedavena and Massafra the storage tank capacity was extended. The keg line at Popoli was fully automated. At Massafra the modernization programme was con tinued. The Amstel beer brewed under licence by the Peroni group was unable to benefit sufficiently from the market growth in Italy. Greece Particularly due to the favourable weather, the Greek beer market showed an increase. The sales of our subsidiary Athenian Brewery S.A., where both Heineken and Amstel are brewed, were also higher. For the first time more than 2 million hectolitres were produced in one year. The pressure on the margin for our prod ucts was reduced as a result of a grad ual relaxation of the price restrictions in Greece. In the breweries in Athens and Thessa loniki investments were made in 1986 in extensions, replacements and reno vations. In addition, much attention was paid to quality control. Efficiency will be increased in the Patras brewery acquired in the previous year, so that it will reach the level of our other two breweries in Greece. Ireland In a declining beer market our Irish ope rating company Murphy Brewery Ireland Ltd. managed to achieve higher sales, both with lager and with stout, resulting in an improved market share. The Heineken brand, in particular, again developed favourably. This growth is expected to continue in the years to come. The brewing capacity will be ex panded in 1987. Other countries In Great Britain the market for lager con tinues to grow steadily. Heineken beer, which is brewed under licence by Whitbread Co. PLC, retained its share of the market, which is characterized by strong competition. Within the framework of the renewal of the licensing contract Heineken acquired a 1 interest in Whitbread's share capital. Following its introduction to the market in England Murphy's Irish Stout, which is produced by our Irish brewery, did well. Duncan, Gilbey Matheson, our sub sidiary established in London, co-ordina tes the activities of our spirits interests outside the Netherlands. Overall there was a stabilization in the course of affairs. Much attention was paid to analysing expansion possibilities of the international activities. In Sweden sales of locally produced Amstel beer were maintained, whilst sales of imported Heineken beer develop ed satisfactorily. In Norway there was a slight fall in sales of Heineken. For the first time Heineken beer was imported into Finland; the experience hitherto is positive. Sales of imported Heineken beer in Swit zerland proceeded favourably. The chan ge-over to nation-wide distribution has made a noticeable contribution to this. In Portugal the market was opened to imported beer on January 1, 1986, as a

Jaarverslagen en Personeelsbladen Heineken

Jaarverslagen | 1986 | | pagina 20