Heineken
Heineken is one of the world's great brewers and is
committed to remaining strong and independent. The brand
that bears the founder's name - Heineken - is available in
almost every country on the planet and is the world's most
valuable international premium beer brand.
Profile
Heineken brews great beers and builds great
brands. In addition to the Heineken brand, we
have more than 170 international, regional, local
and specialty beers around the globe. Our famous
brands include Amstel®, Europe's third-largest
selling beer, Cruzcampo®, Tiger®, Zywiec®,
Birra Moretti®, Ochota®, Murphy's® and Star®.
At Heineken we aim to be a leading brewer in
each of the markets in which we operate and
to have the world's best brand portfolio.
We have the widest presence of all international
brewers, thanks to our global network of
distributors and 115 breweries in more than
65 countries. Our brands are well established in
profitable, mature markets, while the popularity
of our beers is growing daily in emerging beer
markets such as Russia, China and Latin America.
We are the largest brewer and distributor in
Europe. Our global coverage is achieved through
a combination of wholly-owned companies,
licence agreements, affiliates and strategic
partnerships and alliances. Often, our wholesalers
also distribute wine, spirits and soft drinks.
Our international export operations ship beer
to large and profitable markets worldwide.
We are committed to growth and have embraced
innovation as a key component of our strategy
in the areas of production, marketing,
communication and packaging. In all of these
areas, it is the consumers and their changing
needs that is at the heart of our efforts.
History
The Heineken story began more than 140 years
ago in 1864 when Gerard Adriaan Heineken
acquired a small brewery in the heart of
Amsterdam. Since then, four generations
of the Heineken family have expanded the
Heineken brand and the Company throughout
Europe and the rest of the world.
57,557 employees
In 2006 the average number of employees
employed increased from 56,598 to 57,557
(pro rata).
We also fully acknowledge the role that we
have to play in society. Social responsibility and
sustainability underpin everything we do. We will
continue expanding initiatives to combat alcohol
abuse and misuse and work hard to reach the
highest environmental standards in the industry.
Heineken N.V.
Annual Report 2006 V/X