Asahi Group’s Grolsch subsidiary has increased its stake in Dutch brewer Gulpener from 15% to total control.
The deal, announced late last week, includes the family-owned business’s namesake brand, as well as the Château Neubourg, Gerardus Kloosterbier and Korenwolf beers and non-alcoholic Batu Kombucha. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Then-independent Grolsch acquired an initial minority stake in Gulpener in 1997. In 2016, Asahi purchased Grolsch from its owner since 2007, SABMiller, for EUR2.55bn (then-US$2.86bn). The Japanese brewer said buying the remaining share of Gulpener was “a logical continuation of a partnership that has already proven itself in practice for nearly 30 years”.
“We see this step as confirmation of the strength of our brands, our people, our quality and our roots in Limburg,” said Gulpener’s owner, Jan-Paul Rutten. “Over recent decades, Gulpener has developed very positively into the sustainable, local speciality brewer it is today.
“However, in order to remain successful in a challenging market, scale and commercial strength are essential. In Grolsch, we have found the best partner to secure a healthy future for the brewery and its employees.”
In December, Asahi bought Diageo’s majority holding in East African Breweries. The transaction is expected to conclude in the second half of this year.
