DENVER & MONTREAL--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Molson Coors Brewing Company (NYSE: TAP; TSX: TPX) and Heineken N.V., are pleased to announce that they have expanded their marketing partnership in Canada, whereby Molson Coors Canada will assume responsibility for distributing five additional Heineken brands in Canada.
The new, multi-year agreement further strengthens the existing Molson Coors and Heineken relationship, which has developed over the past two decades. In addition to Heineken, Murphy’s, Newcastle and Strongbow, Molson Coors Canada will assume the rights to market and sell Dos Equis, Sol, Tecate, Birra Moretti and Desperados. Beginning on January 1, 2015, Molson Coors Canada will have the rights to market and distribute these brands on behalf of Heineken.
“We are excited that Heineken has chosen us to take on the stewardship of their full portfolio of brands in Canada. As we work to grow our share in the above premium segment, this new agreement represents an important win for our business and complements nicely our existing portfolio of leading Canadian beer brands,” said Stewart Glendinning, chief executive officer and president of Molson Coors Canada. “We have had a valued partnership with Heineken in Canada for many years and, as always, we will remain focused on building the Heineken portfolio of brands through strong marketing support, investment and innovation.”
Part of changing consumer tastes involves a strong appetite for imported beers among Canadian drinkers. The imported beer segment makes up 14% of the overall market in Canada, and it has experienced sales increases of approximately +4% over the past year. The new Heineken brands will help Molson Coors address this trend and provide more options for customers, which is one of the company’s key imperatives.
“We look forward to our expanded partnership with Molson Coors, with a joint focus on increased investment in brands,” said Laurent Odinot, GM Heineken Canada. “Molson Coors’ strong, established presence in Canada and its emphasis on continued innovation will undoubtedly help Heineken’s wide range of products reach even more consumers.”
As part of the new agreement, Molson Coors has also agreed to extend the existing partnership with Heineken to distribute Coors Light in Ireland.
About Molson Coors Brewing Company
Molson Coors Brewing Company is a leading global brewer delivering extraordinary brands that delight the world's beer drinkers. It brews, markets and sells a portfolio of leading premium brands such as Coors Light, Molson Canadian, Carling, Staropramen and Blue Moon across The Americas, Europe and Asia. It operates in Canada through Molson Coors Canada; in the US through MillerCoors; across Europe through Molson Coors Europe; and outside these core markets through Molson Coors International. For the past two years, the company has been listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and named global Beverage Sector Leader. Molson Coors is constantly looking for ways to improve its Beer Print. For more information on Molson Coors Brewing Company visit the company's website, www.molsoncoors.com.
About Heineken N.V.
HEINEKEN is a proud, independent global brewer committed to surprise and excite consumers with its brands and products everywhere. The brand that bears the founder’s family name – Heineken® - is available in almost every country on the globe and is the world’s most valuable international premium beer brand. The Company’s aim is to be a leading brewer in each of the markets in which it operates and to have the world’s most valuable brand portfolio. HEINEKEN wants to win in all markets with Heineken® and with a full brand portfolio in markets of choice. The Company is present in over 70 countries and operates more than 165 breweries. HEINEKEN is Europe’s largest brewer and the world’s second largest by consolidated volume. HEINEKEN is committed to the responsible marketing and consumption of its more than 250 international premium, regional, local and specialty beers and ciders. These include Heineken®, Amstel, Anchor, Biere Larue, Bintang, Birra Moretti, Cruzcampo, Desperados, Dos Equis, Foster’s, Newcastle Brown Ale, Ochota, Primus, Sagres, Sol, Star, Strongbow, Tecate, Tiger and Zywiec. Our leading joint venture brands include Cristal and Kingfisher. The number of people employed is over 81,000. Heineken N.V. and Heineken Holding N.V. shares are listed on the NYSE Euronext in Amsterdam. Prices for the ordinary shares may be accessed on Bloomberg under the symbols HEIA NA and HEIO NA and on the Reuter Equities 2000 Service under HEIN.AS and HEIO.AS. HEINEKEN has two sponsored level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) programmes: Heineken N.V. (OTCQX: HEINY) and Heineken Holding N.V. (OTCQX: HKHHY). Most recent information is available on HEINEKEN's website: www.theHEINEKENcompany.com and follow us via @HEINEKENCorp.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release includes estimates or projections that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. Generally, the words “believe,” "expect,” "intend,” "anticipate,” “project,” “will,” and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which generally are not historic in nature. Although the Company believes that the assumptions upon which its forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, it can give no assurance that these assumptions will prove to be correct. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company’s historical experience, and present projections and expectations are disclosed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). These factors include, among others, impact of competitive pricing and product pressures; health of the beer industry and our brands in our markets; economic conditions in our markets; pension plan costs; availability or increase in the cost of packaging materials; our ability to maintain manufacturer/distribution agreements; our ability to implement our strategic initiatives, including executing and realizing cost savings; our ability to successfully integrate our Central Europe business; changes in legal and regulatory requirements, including the regulation of distribution systems; increase in the cost of commodities used in the business; our ability to maintain brand image, reputation and product quality; our ability to maintain good labor relations; changes in our supply chain system; additional impairment charges; the impact of climate change and the availability and quality of water; risks relating to operations outside North America; success of our joint ventures; lack of full-control over the operations of MillerCoors; and other risks discussed in our filings with the SEC, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year-ended December 31, 2013, which are available from the SEC. All forward-looking statements in this press release are expressly qualified by such cautionary statements and by reference to the underlying assumptions. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. We do not undertake to update forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
