Report and Accounts 1999 / 2000 - Carlsberg Group

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The New Carlsberg A/S
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Carlsberg’s development 1880s 10 November 1847 Carlsberg founded
Export
1960s
Licence agreements
First investments in own breweries
1970s Carlsberg and Tuborg joined 1970
Minority ownership
1980s
Majority ownership
Acquisition of breweries
1990s
Divestment of non-core activities
2000+ Carlsberg Breweries established
Focus strategy: Beer and soft drinks
Carlsberg Breweries through the ages
The history of Carlsberg Breweries dates back to
the foundation of the Carlsberg Brewery in
Copenhagen in 1847. Several of the breweries
included in the Group today date back even
further - Svyturys in Lithuania was founded in
1784.
Exports
Carlsberg made an early entry into the international
market, initially in the Nordic markets
around 1850 and the first shipment for Great
Britain, which would later develop into a significant
market, was sent from Copenhagen to Leith
in Scotland in 1868.
The Carlsberg and Tuborg brands quickly
achieved a wide distribution, although in modest
quantities, and overseas exports to Asia and
South America became a reality from the 1880s.
During the first half of the 20th century,
exports increased steadily but suffered setbacks
in connection with the world wars and, of course,
because of competition from local breweries in the
export markets.
International breakthrough
In 1970, when the merger between Carlsberg
and Tuborg took place, total production at the two
breweries in Copenhagen amounted to 5 million
hectolitres of which 1/3 was used for exports.
At that time, Carlsberg’s most important export
markets were the United Kingdom, Belgium and
Asia and for Tuborg also the United Kingdom and
a number of continental European markets.
The merger made it possible to co-ordinate
efforts to widen the distribution of the Carlsberg
and Tuborg brands in the international market.
Because of large export volumes for several
markets it was no longer expedient to depend
solely on production plants in Denmark and steps
were taken to initiate the first production of
Carlsberg and Tuborg at foreign breweries. This
was realised in two ways partly through own
investments and partly through licence agreements
with local breweries. The first investments
made by Carlsberg and Tuborg were breweries in
Malawi and Turkey, respectively. The first of many
licence arrangements, granting a local brewery
the right to produce and market the Group’s
brands, was established in Cyprus. The Group
founded its own brewery in Northampton, UK, in
1972.
In the overseas markets, the implementation of
restrictions prevented future market prospects for
imported goods and helped to accelerate the