Ceské Budejovice, 10th June 2008 – The sales of beer from Budweiser Budvar, N.C. increased faster in 2007 than the Czech market average. Budweiser Budvar's domestic sales reached 666,163 hectolitres of beer, which is 11.7% more than the year before. At the same time, the beer consumption in the Czech market grew by only about 0.5% onto the total of 16.4 million hectolitres. Budweiser Budvar exported 586,885 hectolitres of beer in total to 53 countries, having thus reached the highest volume in the brewery's history. Compared to the previous year, it means a 5.7% increase, while the overall beer export from the Czech Republic increased by only 1.6% last year.
The rise in production was positively reflected also in the economic results of the brewery. Budweiser Budvar’s 2007 profit prior to taxation increased by 13%, having reached CZK 302 million. The corporation’s capital rose by 7% onto CZK 4,057 million. In 2007, Budweiser Budvar invested CZK 261 million into the corporation’s development, e.g. in racking lines, barrels and crates as well as the interior of the Masné krámy restaurant.
“We are pleased with 2007; it was a tough but positive year. We managed to substantially increase our sales and accomplished the historically highest export. Additionally, we improved the economic parameters of the corporation, carried out important investments and extended our domestic product offer with two new beer brands,” says Budweiser Budvar, N.C.’s managing director Jiří Boček. In 2007, Budweiser Budvar extended its portfolio with draught beer Pardál and Carlsberg imported premium lager. Initially, Pardál began being sold on 1st March 2007 in the local South Bohemian market. The sales of the Pardál brand noticeably surpassed the original anticipation and its sales reached the total of 76,000 hectolitres.
January 2008 saw the supervisory board endorse the corporation’s advance concept for 2008-2011. A medium-term investment plan is a part of it. The total investment until 2011 will get to CZK 2,000 million and will aim particularly at the development of the production, business, distribution, IT technologies and packaging, which reflects the interest of the Czech government in the further complex development of the brewery. Investment means of CZK 531 million are planned for this year.
Budweiser Budvar, National Corporation
Budweiser Budvar, N.C. brewery has long been one of the most successful Czech foodstuff companies. Nearly half of its production is exported to more than 50 countries worldwide. Budweiser Budvar’s sales increased by 9% in 2007, having reached the volume of 1,253,000 hectolitres of beer. The brewery’s gross profit in 2007 annually grew by 13% onto the total of CZK 302 million. Since 1991, roughly CZK 3,500 million has been invested into the modernization and development of the brewery.