Carlsberg buries Peroni and Grolsch takeover speculation
Carlsberg has quashed the idea that it will acquire beer brands Peroni and Grolsch after the brewer’s chairman Flemming Besenbacher said it is no longer looking at acquisitions in order to grow the company.
His comments put to bed speculation Carlsberg would acquire Peroni and Grolsch, the two brands that AB InBev is planning to sell off, following its takeover of SABMiller.
Besenbacher said Carlsberg no longer has ambitions to be the fastest growing brewer in the current economic climate, particularly in Russia, and the strategy going forward will be to build a stronger company.
"Contrary to what has previously been communicated from Carlsberg, we want today to be large, we want to be strong," Besenbacher told Danish paper Berlingske Business. "There was a time when Carlsberg had an ambition to be the fastest growing brewery but developments in Russia is no longer an ambition."
Basenbacher’s comments chime with those made by Carlsberg Group’s CEO Cees ‘t Hart following the brewer’s financial statement last year when he said the company is hoping grow organically.