BUSINESSCOMPANIESNEWS

Japanese Asahi to buy Romania’s most popular beer brands, part of EUR 7.3 bn deal

By Anca Bernovici
0

Get real time updates directly on you device, subscribe now.

Tokyo-based brewer Asahi Group announced Tuesday it plans to buy five beer brands in Eastern Europe, owned by SABMiller, before it was acquired recently by Belgium-based Anheuser-Busch InBev, for EUR 7.3 billion (USD 7.8 billion), foreign media informs.

This is the largest purchase of a foreign beer operation by a Japanese brewer.

It’s about the beer brands in the Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Poland, Hungary and Romania. On local market, the targeted beer brands are one of the most popular: Ursus, Timisoreana, Ciucas, Stejar, Azuga.

In October, Asahi announced it was buying SABMiller beer assets in Western Europe such as Peroni and Grolsch. The acquisition needs to be approved by the EU’s anti-trust regulators. Asahi aims to complete the deal by December 2017.

The Asian brewer wants to offset slow growth in its home market and has sought to justify paying a higher price for overseas acquisitions based on the cost benefits it would extract and the ability to use the brands to boost its international sales.

Asahi said in a statement the acquisition will lift its overseas sales as a proportion of total sales to nearly a quarter, from 16 percent in October.

Asahi’s statement did not say how the deal would be funded. As of September, Asahi had USD 471 million in cash on its balance sheet.

DONATE: Support our work
In an ever changing and challenging world, the media is constantly struggling to resist. Romania Journal makes no exception. We’ve been informing you, our readers, for almost 10 years, as extensively as we can, but, as we reject any state funding and private advertising is scarce, we need your help to keep on going.
So, if you enjoy our work, you can contribute to endorse the Romania Journal team. Any amount is welcome, no strings attached. Choose to join with one of the following options:
Donate with PayPal
Donate by Bank Wire
Black Zonure SRL
UniCredit Bank. Swift: BACXROBU
RON: RO84 BACX 0000 0022 3589 1000
EURO: RO57 BACX 0000 0022 3589 1001
USD: RO30 BACX 0000 0022 3589 1002

Anca Bernovici

Anca Bernovici

I started my way in life with the intention to pursue a teaching career. But, after graduating from the Faculty of Letters – the University of Bucharest in 2004, my first job as a reporter at one of the leading newspapers in Romania changed my perspective. I have specialized in communication and communication campaigns, following the Master's courses at the Faculty of Journalism and Communication Studies (FJSC), attending a BBC Communications scholarship.
I’ve represented several important publications in Romania as business journalist, being accredited in the finance and banking field. In 2015, I had the opportunity to interview the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Mission Chief for Romania, Andrea Schaechter. As business journalist, I also had the opportunity to interview ministers for Economics and Commercial
Affairs offices within different embassies in Romania or officials of large companies investing on the domestic market.
After almost 15 years of journalism, I still want to explore new ways, to inform and stay updated. That’s why The Romania Journal project fits me so well.
Today I describe myself as a passionate about the history of world culture, having a PhD in Hebrew Culture and Civilization, after a scholarship at the University of Haifa International School, as a language addict, an environmental activist, pet lover and traveler.

You might also like More from author
Leave A Reply

Your email address will not be published.