South Korea, Seoul: Oriental Brewery Co. (OB), one of South Korea's leading breweries, said on January 19 it will produce the Netherlands' high-end "Oranjeboom" beer from April, according to Asia Pulse. InBev, the world's largest beer maker, will sell Oranjeboom made by OB through its agencies in the Asia-Pacific region such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Malaysia, according to OB. It is the first time for a domestic brewery to produce a foreign brand of beer, according to the InBev.

InBev holds a 95% stake in OB, which it acquired in 1998 during the Asian financial crisis. OB will produce 10 million liters of Oranjeboom, which was first brewed in 1528, annually at its plant in Gwangju, 329 kilometres southwest of Seoul. "The decision came as John Brock, chief executive officer of InBev, came to South Korea last week, which reflects InBev's great interest in OB Beer," said Patrice Thys, head of Oriental Brewery, who concurrently serves as the Asia-Pacific zone president of InBev.

InBev is a publicly traded company based in Leuven, Belgium. The company's origins date back to 1366, and today it is the leading global brewer by volume. InBev’s strategy is to strengthen its local platforms by building significant positions in the world's major beer markets through organic growth, world-class efficiency, targeted acquisitions, and by putting consumers first. InBev has a portfolio of more than 200 brands, including Stella Artois®, Brahma®, Beck’s®, Leffe®, Hoegaarden®, Staropramen® and Bass®. InBev employs some 77,000 people, running operations in over 30 countries across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific. In 2003, InBev realized a net turnover of approximately 9.3 billion euro (2003 pro forma).

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