"Bergenbier" extends its portfolio

Mr. Jiri Sitler, the ambassador of the Czech Republic in Bucharest, (left), Mr. Jens Hoesel, general manager of "Bergenbier" SA (middle), and Mr. Tiberiu Mercurian, marketing director at "Bergenbier" SA.

• The company has launched a new brand in Romania, "Staropramen", which will strengthen its market share

"Bergenbier" SA has launched on the Romanian market the Czech beer brand of "Staropramen", which will be manufactured at the company"s plant of Ploieşti.

Mr. Jiri Sitler, the ambassador of the Czech Republic in Bucharest, said yesterday, on the occasion of the launch: "Staropramen brings the spirit of Prague to Romania. I am happy that this beer will now be manufactured here in Romania".

"Bergenbier" did not need to make further investments into new technology, as the plant of Ploieşti has already seen significant investments into modern technology. The Staropramen beer will be produced under the license of "Pivovary Staropramen", in compliance with the recipe and the technological process for production and quality control imposed by the Czech manufacturer, with an expertise of 140 years in brewing.

Jens Hoesel, the general manager of "Bergenbier", said: "The new brand is positioned on the new premium segment. Its inclusion in our product portfolio represents a balanced addition to our market share. The Staropramen brand has imposed itself as the number one beer in Prague, with the biggest sales outside its country of origins, in over 30 countries. Global consumption of Staropramen surpasses that of Czech Republic by 30%".

Consumers targeted by the Staropramen brand are mostly located in urban areas, and have above average revenue. The new brand of beer with 5% alcohol is available in 0.5 and 0.33 l bottles, and in 0.33 cans. The product will be sold through the Horeca network, using traditional channels and through super- and hypermarkets.

Production of the new variety of beer has begun two weeks ago, and it is already being distributed through commercial networks.

The "Bergenbier" plant of Ploieşti ships towards the rest of Romania all the beer brands that are being manufactured here: Bergenbier, Stella Artois, Beck"s, Lowenbrau, Noroc. "These brands are split across the three market segments: economic, mainstream and premium. Of all the brands, Bergenbier holds a weight of 45-50% of the company"s sales", said Tiberiu Mercurian, marketing director at "Bergenbier".

According to data provided by research company "Nielsen", "Bergenbier" has a share of 18.5% of the Romanian beer market. Beer consumption reached a maximum of 15 million hectoliters in 2008. Average consumption per capita is 70 liters.

Tiberiu Mercurian added: "It is hard to evaluate the market this year. Also, we can"t make any estimates about the turnover, because everything depends on market movement".

He said that this year, beer consumption fell about 2% and he expects that this trend will continue until the end of 2011.

"Bergenbier" SA, which has been present on the Romanian market since 1994, ranks third in the local beer industry, according to data by MEMRB Romania. The company owns a production unit in Ploieşti, with a team of 600 employees.

The company is part of the "StarBev" group, which has its central headquarters in Prague and is listed on the London Stock Exchange. The group also has operations in eight other countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Aside from the brands produced in Romania, the company also imports and distributes Belgian brands such as Leffe and Hoegaarden.