Buimers plants new orchards
Annual results presented
Heineken sets new sales record
December 2008 and onward
Herefordshire, England
February 18, 2009
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
December 31, 2008
Brazil
Buimers Cider will plant the first of 400,000 apple trees it will propagate over the course
of the next three years this December.
More than 60 local farmers are seeking 25-year contracts with Buimers to maintain the
new apple orchards that the brewer needs to supply the growing demand for cider.
The apple varieties that Buimers uses, such as the Hastings and Amanda, are the result of
two decades of research. Buimers has a long history in the Herefordshire region, which
is particularly suitable for growing apples due to its climate and rich topsoil. Some of the
farmers in the region have been working with Buimers for four generations.
Another fiscal year will go down in the books as Heineken presents its annual results for
2008 to press, analysts and the public. The presentation will take place at the Heineken
Experience in the Koelschip where the beer used to be cooled, on the 6th floor.
Heineken first published its year results in 1939, shortly after its initial public stock
offering, making this the 69th time that Heineken accounts to its shareholders.
www.heinekeninternational.com
With mere weeks left this year Heineken is poised to report record annual sales in
the Latin American nation of Brazil. The brand has benefited greatly from a premium
repositioning three years ago, and sales have been skyrocketing ever since. When
this magazine went to press, sales had already surpassed last year's, reaching their
highest level since 1990. The turnaround for the brand came in 2006 when Heineken
introduced premium marketing and a 60cl bottle, a more familiar form of packaging for
Brazilians.
"Brazilians like extremely light beers, so full-flavoured Heineken occupies a niche
market here," says Herbert Gris, Marketing Manager for International brands in Femsa
Cerveja Brasil, Heineken's local operation. "Still, the sheer size of the Brazilian market
and the fast development of the premium segment means that we can grow even more."
Herbert.Gris@femsa.com.br
