Ursus consolidates leader position on Romanian beer market, but Heineken makes largest profits

Romanian beer producer Ursus Breweries, which is part of South-African group SABMiller, saw its sales increase by 12 percent last year, to EUR 323 million. Ursus managed to distance itself to second place, Heineken Romania, whose sales declined 4.4 percent last year, to EUR 253 million, according to official data from the Finance Ministry. Heineken, however, remains the most profitable beer producer on the local market. The company had a net profit of EUR 36 million last year, 13 percent lower than in 2012, but way above those posted by its main competitors. Ursus posted a small EUR 0.3 million profit, from loss in 2012, while Bergembier and URBB remained on the red. Ursus has three factories in Brasov, Buzau and Timisoara and a mini brewery in Cluj, on the site of the original Ursus beer factory. Its main brands are Ursus, Timisoreana, Ciucas, Stejar, Azuga, Redd’s, Peroni, Grolsch, Miller and Pilsner Urquell. Heineken has four breweries in Romania, in Miercurea Ciuc, Craiova, Constanta and Targu Mures. Its main local brands are Ciuc, Silva, Golden Brau, Newmarkt and Bucegi, but it also distributes international brands such as Heineken. Bergenbier, the third local producer, which is owned by Canadian group Molson Coors, approached the EUR 100 million mark in revenues, but had a EUR 23 million loss. Except its own name brand, Bergenbier’s portfolio also includes Beck’s, Staropramen, Stella Artois, Noroc and Leffe. Bergenbier has a factory in Ploiesti. United Romanian Breweries Bereprod (URBB), the fourth largest beer producer in Romania has Tuborg as its flagship brand. The company’s sales declined 8 percent last year, to EUR 58 million. The four companies hold more than 80 percent of the beer market in Romania. In 2013, the beer market volume declined by 10 percent compared to 2012, reaching 16.3 million hectoliters. Andrei Chirileasa, andrei@romania-insider.com