The Danish brewing group, Bryggerigruppen, has announced that it is to close its brewery at Randers in northern Denmark, during the third quarter of 2003.

The company has also reduced its pre-tax profit forecast for 2003 by DKr40m (US$5.8m/€5.4m) to between DKr210m (US$30.6m/€28.3m) and DKr235m (US$34.2m/€31.6m) as a result of the closure. However, Bryggerigruppen said the closure would boost pre-tax profit in 2004 by DKr15m (US$2.2m/€2.0m).

The Randers facility, with a staff of some 150 people, is currently used for the production of the Thor brand which will now be moved to the company’s breweries in Aarhus in central Denmark or Faxe in the east of the country.