Report and Accounts 1999 / 2000 - Carlsberg Group

Letter to the Shareholders
3
sive decision of the year. This initiative created a
significant international brewery and soft drink
group with growth potential, which will strengthen
the profile of the Carlsberg brand and market an
extensive portfolio of strong regional and local
brands.
Competition from other international brewery
groups is intensifying and at the end of the year it
was decided to establish a joint venture with
Carlsberg’s partner in Thailand in order to secure
further progress for Carlsberg in Asia. Carlsberg
Asia is a construction with prospects of growth in
existing as well as new markets.
The acquisition of the Swiss brewery Feldschlösschen
secured Carlsberg Breweries a substantial
market share in a key European market.
Quality
Carlsberg’s approach to quality has always been
anchored in J.C. and Carl Jacobsen’s “Golden
Words”:
“In working the Carlsberg breweries it should
be a constant purpose, regardless of immediate
profit, to develop the art of making beer to the
greatest possible degree of perfection in order that
these breweries as well as their products may ever
stand out as a model and so, through their example,
assist in keeping beer brewing on a high and
honourable level.”
Quality is an essential prerequisite for
Carlsberg’s success in traditional, new and future
markets. Our products must be of supreme and
outstanding quality worldwide and Carlsberg will
never compromise on quality.
described in the report on the following pages) is
expected to contribute to an even greater alignment
of interests between the management and
the shareholders.
Environment and alcohol policies
In all its company operations, Carlsberg works
actively to protect the environment by reducing
any negative impact and optimising the consumption
of natural resources. Carlsberg will publish its
first environmental report in 2001.
Carlsberg is one of the world’s leading beer
brands and, consequently, the brewery takes an
active part in the political debate regarding alcohol.
The alcohol policies are emphasised internally
through information and training activities and externally
through the co-operation with GODA (The
Association of Sensible Alcohol Attitudes) in Denmark,
The Amsterdam Group and The European
Brewers’ Association, and through voluntary
agreements on guidelines for the marketing of
alcohol products.
Employees and management
It is the Group employees who have created the
improved results. There has been a marked influx
of new employees and Carlsberg is a dynamic and
market-oriented enterprise.
Carlsberg carries out extensive international
supplementary training and development programmes
on a regular basis for the Group’s employees.
The share option programme implemented
for the company’s management group (as