Bere Mures' net income up 30%

Bere Mures concluded last year with 35.5 million euros in turnover, compared with 29 million euros the previous year. Net profits were 6.5 million euros, 30% higher than in 2003. “Sales last year exceeded the 1 million hectolitre threshold for the first time and we are estimating 10-20% growth for this year,” says Gheorghe Grec, one of the six shareholders of the company. He added that sales of PET bottled beer, which performed well last year reaching 30% of the market, would also attract other names to the market. “Other players will go for PET bottled beer because of the same trend in the EU, though they will choose special multi-layered PET bottles that offer a six month shelf life instead of the maximum four months possible with current PET packaging. There is no demand for this packaging on the market at the moment because it costs 50% more than the regular PET,” Gheorghe said. He added that the stratification of the various market segments deepened last year, with the PET bottled beer segment “separating” from the premium and superpremium categories. Bere Mures, the number five or six on the beer market, makes Neumarkt beer, one of the main beers on the PET segment, Graf Dracula (dark beer) and Sovata. ZF