Russia: Belgium's InBev, the world's largest brewer by volume, has selected a brewery in Klin in Russia for a third pilot project ahead of a programme to improve efficiency throughout its operations, according to Reuters. "A global rollout is foreseen for all other plants in the coming two years," InBev wrote in its 2004 annual report, posted on its Web site (www.inbev.com) on Wednesday, March 30.

The first two pilots were at breweries in Montreal, where the Labatt subsidiary operates, and in Leuven, the Belgian town where InBev has its headquarters.

InBev Chief Executive John Brock has often said he wants the brewer to become as efficient as U.S. rival Anheuser Busch, Reuters said. His target is a margin on earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of 30 percent by 2007. In 2004, InBev's margin stood at 24.6 percent.

He has spoken about the possibility of brewery closures but has declined to elaborate.

InBev has already closed one plant in Canada, a second in England and a third in Northern Ireland. At last week's global launch of Brazilian beer Brahma, Brock said his three-year, 140-million-euro cost-savings plan could exceed expectations by the time it is completed. The plan stems from InBev's purchase of Brazilian peer Companhia de Bebidas das Americas last year.

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