E-Malt.com News article: Russia: Baltika Breweries received business award as "Company of the Year, 2007"

In the award category "Industry: low alcohol beverages and beer," at the annual nationwide business prize "Company of the Year, 2007", Baltika Breweries was the prize winner, according to company’s press release, December 5.

Ever since 1999, the RosBusinessConsulting Group of Companies has been the organiser of this annual prize. The winners and runners-up are domestic companies whose business activities are deemed by the Expert Council to strengthen the economy of Russia, facilitate the growth in prosperity of the population, enhance the attractiveness of the country for investors, as well as ease the process of Russia’s integration into the world economic system.

In 2007, Baltika Breweries was acknowledged as an industrial company which has made a worthy contribution to the development of the country.

Baltika is one of the few Russian companies whose export activity matches the priorities of the Russian government for increasing the non-natural resource component of the country’s exports. Baltika beer, as produced by Russian brewers, is known today in 45 foreign markets around the world. This year the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of the Russian Federation conferred the title of "Best Russian Exporter" on the company for the sixth time.

In April 2007, the Company signed a License Agreement in Edinburgh, Scotland for production of its beer variety Baltika №3 Classic in Great Britain. This is the first time ever that a Russian FMCG sector brand will be produced on a permanent basis in Western Europe.

As it has successfully developed and taken a stable leadership position in the Russian beer market, the Company has made a real contribution to the development of related fields of the economy. Every year Baltika purchases 20% of Russia’s food-grade glass packaging, 25% of its aluminium cans and 30% of Russian malt. It actively assists in the development of Russia’s agriculture, helping to grow high-grade brewing barley.

The Baltika brand is one of the three top leaders in ratings prepared by the Interbrand Group, an international consulting company, and each year it demonstrates a positive growth in value. In 2007, the brand took the title of FMCG brand №1, after increasing its value by 15% (to 2.2 billion dollars).

In April 2007 the Baltika brand entered the list of the world’s largest brands prepared for the Financial Times newspaper by the market research company Millward Brown Optimor (МВО). Among international beer brands, Baltika took the highest score for potential growth and for the brand’s contribution to Company profits.

Daniil Briman, Vice President for Corporate Affairs at Baltika Breweries commented as follows: 'Today our country is not just about oil and gas. In Russia, and particularly in Baltika, we are ever more often creating innovative technologies which we are ready to share with other countries around the world. One of the strategic goals which we have set for ourselves is to become the standard of world beer brewing, as well as to raise the Baltika brand to the number one position in Europe in terms of sales. These are ambitious goals, but they are entirely realistic considering that today the Baltika brand occupies second place in Europe in sales."

Each year the national prize for "Company of the Year" is a unique event for the Russian business community. This is the main social event in the business life of the country, and represents a public act summing up the business results of the year.

Baltika Breweries is the largest FMCG producer in Russia. Ever since 1996, it has been the leader on the Russian beer market. The Baltika brand occupies second place in Europe in terms of sales. The Company owns 11 breweries across all of Russia and has an extensive portfolio of brands. Baltika has around 12,000 employees.


07 December, 2007