Geographical breakdown of sales of beer brewed under the supervision of Heineken (in millions of hectolitres) isaBBssa 26.5 Europe HWrsi 10.3 Western Hemisphere I 7.7 Africa I W 2.5 Asia/Australia/Oceania 9 Bols. The enterprises concerned have reached the conclusion that they will be stronger by combining their forces than if they were to continue their activities independently. The new combination to be formed will have Benelux as its field of activity. During the year under review the soft drinks factory Vrumona B.V. changed over from Belgian spring water to high-grade mineral water from the Netherlands. This mineral water comes from a source 135 metres deep below the company's own site at Bunnik and is used for all Sourcy products. Once again several new brands and products were launched. By doing this we are aiming to strengthen our existing position and enter new markets. During the year under review a response was made to the increasing segmentation in the beer market in the direction of specialties and products with a lower alcohol content and fewer calories. In 1988 this led to the introduction in a number of European countries of Buckler, a beer with a very low alcohol content. The initial sales experience with it is very encouraging. Amongst others, Amstel Light and Pepsi Light were launched on the Dutch market. Research and development Much attention is continually paid to research and development, in order to be able to keep up the high standards which we set for our products. One of the important aspects in that connection is the maintaining of quality control during the brewing process at a high level. A product information system developed in the French subsidiary has been made universally applicable. This automated system has in the meantime been introduced at our establishments in Greece and Italy and will also form part of an integrated management system which is to be used in the new brewery in Singapore. As the use of the correct raw materials is of great importance for the brewing of beer, an investigation is being carried out together with the Danish brewery group Carlsberg Breweries Ltd. and the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) with the object of safeguarding the supply of high-quality barley in the future. In the long run the European agricultural policy does not provide any certainty regarding the availability of barley varieties which give optimum results both for brewing and for agriculture. By means of research, efforts will now be made over a five-year period to develop new barley varieties. In view of the ban on imports of barley malt in Nigeria a type of beer had to be developed which can be made without malt. Locally available cereals such as sorghum, rice and maize were used as raw materials. These raw materials require an entirely new brewing technique. The development process was completed with good results and in 1989 a type of beer will be introduced in Nigeria which is brewed entirely from local cereals. After many years of research the development process of a brewing technique for low-alcohol beer was successfully concluded in 1988. For this purpose a natural brewing method was chosen in which the formation of alcohol is almost entirely prevented. Partly because it is a question of a unique process, its development has taken a great deal of time. The beer, which is now being marketed under the Buckler brand, meets our high standards with regard to taste and quality. Personnel Within our enterprise the management of the various operating companies has a relatively large degree of autonomy. This allows a quick and flexible response to changes in the environment and stimulates involvement and indepen dence. In the various operating companies good results are being achieved with the

Jaarverslagen en Personeelsbladen Heineken

Jaarverslagen | 1988 | | pagina 21