Grupa Żywiec, part of Heineken, and Chicago Poland Investment Group have bought Polish brewery Browar Namysłów for 500 million zloty (approximately 132 million US dollars).
Browar Namysłów produces about 1.7 million hectolitres of beer annually in its breweries in Namysłów and Braniewo. The Namysłów Brewery is located in a historic castle with brewing traditions dating back to 1321.
Grupa Żywiec is a leader in the premium Polish beer segment and one of the leading brewing companies in the country. The company brews over 11 million hectolitres of beer annually in five locations around the country.
Namysłów will join a diverse portfolio of brands which includes Żywiec, Heineken, Desperados, Warka, Tatra, EB, Królewskie, Specjal and Leżajsk.
Grupa Żywiec is the only large beer producer to be listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE).
Poland’s beer market is currently booming and there has been a shift in consumer buying habits, with drinkers looking for more and more variety. Craft and regional beers are the fastest growing market segment in Poland, and Namysłów has become the fastest growing regional brewery in Poland.
The merger therefore like a good fit. Grupa Żywiec, has a long brewing traditions, a commitment to quality and experience in building strong brands. Through the merger, the Namysłów brand will develop on a larger scale, and Grupa Żywiec will gain new opportunities to develop its portfolio to better utilize the growing interest of consumers in beer specialties.
“We are pleased that the Browar Namysłów will soon join Grupa Żywiec. Namysłów has built a strong brand and strong position among regional breweries. We are convinced that their in-depth knowledge of the speciality beer market and our expertise and experience in building strong brands on a larger scale is the perfect combination,” said Guillaume Duverdier, president of the Grupa Żywiec board.
Michael Gostomski, chairman of the supervisory board and the majority shareholder of Browar Namysłów added: “Browar Namysłów has belonged to the Gostomski family for over 20 years. Since then we have grown from a small local brewery and developed into a major regional player. This transformation was possible thanks to the cooperation of Namysłów residents, the dedication and hard work of our employees and the talented management team under the direction of Wojciech Szczepaniak. We are happy that we will join forces with Grupa Żywiec and we believe that this partnership will allow the company and employees to fully develop their potential.”
