Russia: Baltic Beverages Holding has recently made an announced about merging two of its ten Russian breweries in an attempt to cut costs, Russian newspaper Vedomosti posted on April 22. The group will merge St Petersburg’s Vena Brewery and Chelyabinsk-based brewer Zolotoi Ural. Analysts said that the move would allow the group to make savings of over US$1 million per year on transporting Vena’s Nevskoye and Tuborg brands to the Ural and Siberia regions.

The merged unit will be headed by Pyotr Chernshyov, the general director of Vena brewery.

Zolotoy Ural brewery (former Chelyabinsk brewery) was created in 1969. It came on BBH board in 1999. Now BBH controls 81% of Zolotoy Ural, which brew Zolotoy Ural and Yralsky Master brands. In 2003 the brewer output about 126 million litres of beer, 1.7% of all Russian beer production.

Vena was created in 1872 and became part of BBH in 2002. 49.9% of brewer’s shares are owned by BBH and 49.9% by Carlsberg Breweries. Vena is brewing Nevskoe and Tuborg brands. In 2003 Vena produced about 140 million litres of beer, 1.8% of all Russian beer production.

A month ago Baltika announced the merging of its five breweries into one company. By the end of 2002 Yarpivo, controlled by BBH purchased 83% of Voronejsk brewery.

Baltic Beverages Holding controls 10 Russian breweries as well as three in Ukraine, four in the Baltic countries and one in Kazakhstan. BBH is the leader on Russian beer market with 33%. In 2003 its sales volumes came to 31.35 million hl. BBH is 50õ50 controlled by Carlsberg Breweries A/S and Scottish&Newcastle Plc.

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