LATVIA: Cesu Alus posts record full-year sales

By just-drinks.com editorial team | 23 January 2008

Cesu Alus has posted a record year for sales in 2007.

The Latvian brewer, which also produces energy drinks and cider, said earlier this week that sales in volume terms last year leapt by 27% on 2006 to 52.6m litres. While beer sales increased by 7.5m litres to 37m litres, energy drink sales more than tripled.

The company said that 2007 was the best year sales-wise in its history, with market share also heading north, by 4% to 24% of the Latvia's beer market.

At the same time as announcing these results, Cesu Alus said it has lined up EUR10m (US$14.6m) worth of investment going forward. The majority of these funds will be used to establish a canning line, which will have capacity production of around 40,000 beer cans an hour.

As well as setting up the canning line, the company said it will upgrade its laboratories and expand its logistics centre in Latvia.

Cesu Alus' largest shareholder is Estonian company A.Le Coq, which holds 96.1% of voting stock in the company. A.Le Coq is controlled by Finland's Olvi Oyj.

Sectors: Beer & cider, Soft drinks, Water

Companies: Olvi