HEINEKEN 1900 – 2000

Part 1 https://famvandermeer.com/green-room/heineken-1864-1900/

Part 3 https://famvandermeer.com/green-room/heineken-2000-present/
Part two of the history of the HEINEKEN company. This is the century that HEINEKEN really started to conquer the world.

 ~1900~

The “Exposition Universelle” of 1900 was a world’s fair held in Paris, France, from 15 April to 12 November 1900, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate development into the next. The style that was universally present in the Exposition was Art Nouveau. The fair, visited by nearly 50 million people, displayed many machines, inventions, and architecture that are now nearly universally known.

HEINEKEN wins the “Hors Concours Membre du Jury”

This year the Heineken Brewery buys the first trucks to transport the beer. With these trucks the beer is distributed on a larger scale, and with higher speed to the customers.

Before the use of trucks, 2-horse drawn lorries were used. Heineken starts the export of beer to various African countries (Ghana, Nigeria, Liberia and Sierra Leone)

One of the oldest pictures of men drinking Heineken’s Gerste I. The picture was taken around 1900

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~1904~

A Heineken etiket in 1904 with all the prices Heineken won in the past years:

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~1909~

 

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~1911~

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~1914~

Henry Pierre Heineken obtains a seat on the Executive Board.

 

Sales of beer brewed under the supervision of Heineken have now climbed to 300,000 hectolitres: 30% more than the beginning of the century.

The company begins efforts to expand to Asia.

Traveling on the Dutch liner Nieuw Amsterdam to New York, Henry Pierre met Leo van Munching, the liner’s bartender. Impressed by van Munching’s knowledge of beer, Heineken offered him a position as the company’s importer in New York. The bartender quickly accepted. Van Munching distributed Heineken beer to the finer restaurants, taverns, and hotels in the New York area until Prohibition forced him to stop in 1920.

Modern communication and advertising come into its own as Heineken moves into foreign markets. An international springboard is created for future global expansion

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~1919~

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~1923~

The birth of Freddy Heineken!

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~1924~

The residence of the Heineken family becomes headquarters of the Heineken Company.

 

Building the brewhouse in Rotterdam in 1924

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~1925~

The Rotterdam Brewery 1925

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~1927~

H.R.H. Prince Hendrik grants HBM the rights to His Coat of Arms.

H.R.H. Queen Wilhelmina grants HBM the rights to the Royal Coat of Arms with the title of Royal Purveyor

Pieter Feith starts working for Heineken on the first of June. He was 26 year old at that time, and his first job was as assistant of the director at that time Mr Ras.

The first foreign acquisition target of Henry Pierre was Stelly Artois, but the chairman of stella Artois declined his offer. Heineken then turned to Brasserie Léopold in Brussels and the first acquisition was settled  with the Damiens family.

 

 

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~1928~

Pieter Feith becomes head of Exports. In this period Heineken exported mostly to France and the UK. With the installment of Pieter Feith, Heineken’s export drive started!

One of the first deeds of Pieter Feith: An aircraft writes a Heineken advertisement in the sky above the Olympic Games in Amsterdam:

 

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~1929~

Thanks to Pieter Feith, Heineken participates for the first time in the construction of a brewery in a tropical region.

Rene Gaston Dreyfus was a French banker’s son who had followed a brewer training. He founded in Switzerland the Societe Financiere the Brasseries (Sofibra). Dreyfus was contacted in 1929 by the Heineken Brewery Company NV (H.B.M.) to examine whether it was possible to establish a brewery in Java island. Together with jhr Feith (Heineken) he traveled to the Dutch East Indies. They came to conclusion that Surabaya was the only suitable as a location for a brewery.
On the way back to the Netherlands Feith did a stop in Singapore. There, he got in touch with Fraser & Neave, which eventually led to a collaboration.

The decade of the first great global economic depression sees significant international expansion and technical achievements for the company.

In 1929 the first bottling lines are installed in the brewery in Rotterdam. The decision to start bottling the beer in stead of kegs only, has strongly stimulated the consumption of bottled beer.

In the depression of the 1930’s labor personnel is not fired but an early retirement scheme is applied for staff age 58 and over.

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~1931~

Malayan Breweries Limited (MBL), was established on 15 April 1931, as a partnership between local soft drinks giant, Fraser & Neave (F&N) and Heineken NV, operating in China, South-East Asia and New Zealand:

The etiket on the bottles changed to:

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~1932~

Heineken opens a pilot brewery in Rotterdam, enabling the laboratory to test the results of its own activities. This is almost unique and critically important for trying out new modes of operation and instruction, especially for staff from breweries abroad.

The first brewery in the Pacific, located at Alexandra Road, was operational in 1932 and Tiger Beer was born on 1 October 1932. Tiger Beer became Singapore’s first locally brewed beer

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~1933~

In December 1933 Leo van Munching went ashore in New York. In addition to the family, he brought 50 crates of Heineken and a contract that gave him a monopoly on the American market.

Leo immediately started to sell and market the Dutch beer to Manhattan’s trendiest bars and restaurants. His strategy was to promote Heineken as the beer answers to champagne. If you were out of champagne you could always order a Heineken.

One of his most famous sales plays was to go into restaurants loudly ordering a Heineken then become even more loud and shocked when the so-called fine establishment did not sell the best premium beer in the world”. Shortly thereafter one of his sales people would make a visit to the restaurant.

SS Statendam III Heineken New York (tnx mybeerbuzz!)

The M.S. Statendam III transports the first Heineken beer consignment to the United States after Prohibition is lifted. With this Heineken is the first to re-enter the U.S. market after prohibition. This marks the beginning of Heineken’s rising popularity in the United States. Pretty fascinating is that this shipment of only 5hl was the basis of succes of Heineken in the USA.

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~1934~

The National Committee for Barley Culture (Nacobrouw) is established, a result of intensive contacts between the Institute for Botanical Upgrading at the University of Wageningen and the Company .The objective is the creation of good quality barley cultures for the brewing industry. Heineken plays an important role in research and experimenting in the first years of Nacobrouw’s existence.

Van Munching was now selling HEINEKEN’s in teh United States for over a year now, and although he had a small base for distribution, the begining was very hard. Turning point was the moment he met Tom McCarthy. Tom McCarthy opened the door of his company (Austin Nichols &Co) .

Austin Nichols &Co had over 100 Agents in the United States, which helpen von Munching solve the financial problems as well as to position HEINEKEN as a brand with quality and prestige.

Van Munching started to spread its wings nation wide in the US. In Chicago he met an owner of an Irish restaurant. The restaurateur introduced van Munching  to a trade union boss, who in turn arranged for a local trader to test the market during a 10 day canvassing tour. With van Munching by his side, this trader obtained contracts in every outlet they visited together. “Only much later it became clear how they operated”, said van Munching. The trader always said to the bar or restaurant owner: “Neill sent me, would you like to try this beer?” Much later van Munching discovered Neill was the brother of this trader, and one of the most powerfull gangsters of Chicago. Leo van Munching always claimed he never knew about it.

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~1937~

Heineken is listed on the stock market. The Foundation of the Central Brewery Organisation is established, initiated by Heineken.
Its aim is to ensure a unified response by brewers during the impending war. The Organisation ultimately prevented disbanding of breweries and requisitioning of workers.

World War II provokes a continuous decline in beer quality and production as breweries in the Netherlands are deprived of raw materials.

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~1939~

The great success of the pavilion ‘Heineken on the Zuyderzee’ at the World Expo in New York, 1939, has strongly contributed to the development of the US market for Heineken. The Company Board gave great attention to the U.S. market and had therefore decided to participate in this Expo. Dr. Heineken was invited to become member of the World Expo committee. In the Heineken pavilion not less than 10,000 hectoliters of the Company beer were sold.

Henry Pierre Heineken almost ruined the HEINEKEN company when he “gave away” the majority of his shares in the NV, and letting other managers and members of the board build up their privat stakes in Cobra. In 1939 Henry held 62.4 % of the shares, when he agreed to float the company on the stock exchanges on Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The offering of 2000 shares was vastly oversubscribed, and after this transaction Heny was left with only 49% of the company. With this the family lost control of the HEINEKEN company.

 

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~1940~

Henry Heineken resigns from the Executive Board and is appointed Delegate Member of the Supervisory Council (until 1951).

Beginning in the 1940s, the U.S. market became extremely important to Heineken, eventually becoming the beer’s largest market outside the Netherlands. Through Van Munching’s distribution system, Heineken became the dominant beer import in most of the United States.

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~1941~

One of the more popular beer produced at Archipelago Brewery Company was Anchor Beer. In the 1930s right up to the 1960s, Anchor Beer outsold Tiger Beer by 9 to 1. It had a familiar tagline “Life needs an Anchor.” Tiger Beer was mainly drank by the British Military whereas Anchor was popular among Singaporeans.

In 1941, in the midst of World War II, Fraser and Neave took over the assets of Archipelago Brewery Company

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~1942~

Alfred Henry Heineken, grandson of the founder Gerard Adriaan Heineken and son of Henry Pierre Heineken, officially begins his career with the company working in the archives of the company.

 

 

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~1946~

Heineken entered the Nigerian market in 1946 as founding partner in Nigerian BBreweries Plc (17% share)

 

Henry’s successor, Alfred ‘Freddy’ Heineken, enters the business as a sales promoter in the US in 1946. Freddy used the same tactics as Leo van Munching did earlier. Freddy walked the street, and asked people if they wanted free beer, or earn a few dollars (Mostly young couples). Freddy then asked them to walk into bars and restaurants to order : “a Heineken, the best premium beer in the world”, and complain if they did not have it,  then walk out and screem that they  will go to a bar where they DO sell the best premium beer in the world. Freddy urged them to specifically use these words. In 1947 Freddy did so well in selling Heineken in Manhattan, he was now appointed sales promotor on the westcoast, California. It is here that Freddy meets his future wife, Lucille Cummins.

While working in the United States in the 1940s, Freddy wrote his father Henry Pierre a partly prophetic letter:

“I have my mind set on restoring the majority of shares in Heineken into the hands of the family.
It’s not my plan to become very rich…but it is a matter of pride that any children I might have can inherit a stake in Heineken,
like I did from my father and you inherited from your father”

he wrote.

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~1948~

His return to Holland in 1948 marked the beginning of a new era in the company’s marketing strategy. Alfred Heineken had been impressed with the changes in the U.S. lifestyle brought about by electrical refrigerators and modern supermarkets, and he foresaw the eventual impact of modern conveniences on the Dutch way of life. He prompted the company to implement marketing techniques that capitalized on these habits. Recognizing the importance of the take-home market, for instance, the company began selling beer in grocery stores (with store displays designed by Alfred Heineken). In addition, Heineken began advertising its beer on the radio. Previously, advertising had been considered unnecessary because tavern owners were tied to specific breweries.

 

Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands grants the rights to his Coat of Arms to Heineken’s Brouwerij Maatschappij.

New Commercial slogan: Heineken, Het meest getapt!

 

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~1949~

The Netherlands transfers sovereignty to the new Indonesian government. The Surabaya brewery becomes ‘Heineken’s Indonesian Brewery Company’ (Multi Bintang). In this brewery Bintang is being brewed.

On the international markets, the reputation of the Heineken brand name gains strength.

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~1953~

The brewery “De Sleutel” (The Key) in Dordrecht is taken over by Heineken. “De Sleutel”, established in 1433, is the oldest industrial enterprise in the Netherlands.

The brewery continues as a producer of dark beers until its closure in 1969.

Opening of a new brewery in Caracas, Venezuela. With this new brewery Heineken can be brewed locally.

 

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~1954~

Freddy Heineken fulfilled his promise to take the company back into family control. In 1954 he borrowed just enough money to buy the HEINEKEN shares of the Hoyer Family (Oranjeboom brewery) which was the tipping point and he got his majority in shares. Right after that he created the Heineken Holding that owned 50.005% of Heineken International; he personally held a majority stake in Heineken Holding, and begins a radical modernisation. Alfred Heineken decides to use the green export logo for the dutch market as well. This is also the moment that not the name of the beer is displayed in the black belt, but the brand name “Heineken” One of the mayor changes was the change of color. Heineken used to be “red” with the big red star. Freddy stated that Red is a dangerous color for food and drinks, and that green is a much safer color. After trying and testing 200 labels, the final one was choosen (right). Right after introducing the new label, the market share shot up 5% right away. Another change was the capital letters of the brand. Using lowercase letters, the label right away looked alot more friendly…and to top it all, the “e” was tilde juuust enough to make it a smiling “e”

New Heineken Logo 1954 With an ardent belief in brand and marketing, Alfred Heineken sets about proving his conviction that ‘Beer can travel’ It’s the beginning of a truly effective global marketing policy.

Freddy and Lucille become parents with the birth of their daughter Charlene.

This picture is the only picture i could find of the family together.

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~1955~

HEINEKEN becomes a royal supplier for the king of Sweden:

 

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~1956~

The rapidly growing popularity of beer dramatically influences Heineken’s domestic and export sales volumes. The Board decides to build a new brewery in ‘s Hertogenbosch.

 

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~1958~

Heerlijk …Helder…HEINEKEN!

Problably only known in the Netherlands, but whan you speak of connecting a slogan toa  brand….this will be on top…Saying this slogan in Holland…EVERYBODY knows it!
The slogan is advertised in a railroad magazine for the first time

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~1959~

In order to meet the increasing demand for Heineken beer, the company embarks on a substantial extension of the brewery in ‘s Hertogenbosch.

The motto during the 1950s and 60s is: Build and Brew. By 1960, Heineken is the market leader in Africa, and is making giant strides elsewhere. Refinement of the company’s visual design and brand identity continue;

HEINEKEN becomes supplier of the Royal Family of Monaco

 

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~1960~

One of the people that made Heineken great retires this year: Mr J.M. Honig

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~1961~

The Kumasi Brewery in Ghana opens. Heineken owns or has an interest in 4 breweries in the Netherlands and 24 abroad, including properties in Egypt, Italy, Venezuela, Angola and the Belgian Congo (today Zaire).

Heineken owns 75% of the shares in N.V. Koloniale Brouwerijen (Cobra), a company with interests in breweries in Africa and the Far East.

From now on Heineken uses metal barrels only in stead of wooden barrels:

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~1962~

Mr. Heineken’s idea came after a visit to the Caribbean where he saw two problems: beaches littered with bottles and a lack of affordable building materials. The WOBO became his vision to solve both the recycling and housing challenges that he had witnessed on the islands.

The final WOBO design came in two sizes – 350 and 500 mm versions that were meant to lay horizontally, interlock and layout in the same manner as ‘brick and mortar’ construction. One production run in 1963 yielded 100,000 bottles some of which were used to build a small shed on Mr. Heineken’s estate in Noordwijk, Netherlands. One of the construction challenges “was to find a way in which corners and openings could be made without cutting bottles,” said Mr. Habraken.

Despite the success of the first “world bottle” project, the Heineken brewery didn’t support the WOBO and the idea stalled. Interest was reignited in 1975 when Martin Pawley published Garbage Housingwhich included the chapter ‘WOBO: a new kind of message in a bottle.’ Heineken once again approached Habraken who teamed up with designer Rinus van den Berg and designed a building with oil drums for columns, Volkswagen bus tops for roof and the WOBO bottles for walls, but the structure was never built.

Today, the shed at the Heineken estate and a wall made of WOBO at the Heineken Museum in Amsterdam are the only structures where the ‘beer brick’ was used. As to the remaining WOBO’s it’s not clear how many exist, or where, but the idea, even some four decades later, remains a lasting example in end-use innovation.

 

Start of campain: “Gezellige mensen halen Heineken in huis”

Even the vice president of the United States drinks Heineken:

 

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~1963~

Establishment of the Company Technisch Beheer N.V., subsidiary of Heineken’s Bierbrouwerij Maatschappij N.V.. HTB includes a Central Laboratory, Pure Yeast Culture, a Pilot Brewery, Purchasing Raw Material and Technical Purchasing, Projects, Group Engineers and Training of Brewing Engineers. The Heineken Foundation is established. Its primary aim will be to award every third year the Dr. H.P. The Company prize, at the time NLG 35,000, to the person or group of collaborating persons, who, to the judgment of the Department of Physics of the Royal Dutch Academy of Science, have performed excellently in the field of biochemistry, including microbiology and germinating physiology of seeds. The Dr. H.P.Heineken prize is awarded for the first time in 1964

 

 

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~1964~

 

A new international logo is introduced, for labels, coasters and other visual designs. Among these are the famous ‘Heineken lips’, the two red semi-circles enclosing the black stripe and name on the coaster. The style has remained the international icon by which the brand is still known. Mr. A.H. The Company is appointed Member of the Executive Board. Commemoration of the hundredth anniversary of the purchase of the brewery ‘The Haystack’. The Company donates two new wall paintings in the restaurant and two stone tablets to ‘The Port van Cleve’. The cafe-restaurant today established at the location where previously the  Haystack (Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, Amsterdam) was situated Another MAJOR change in the logo was introduced by Freddy. The capital letters were replaced with small letters and the e’s….the smiling e’s were introduced. Such a small change, but mindblowing effect on consumers.

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~1965~

Athenian Brewery S.A. is one of the most important beer producers and traders in Greece. It was established in 1963 by a group of Greek entrepreneurs and is a member of Heineken Group N. V. In 1965, the first plant started its operation in Athens, producing Amstel beer.

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~1966~

Another farewell of one of HEINEKEN’s great men: P.R. Feith. Dhr Feith was mainly responsible for the enormous growth of the export of the HEINEKEN brand.. Mainly in the asia pacific and middle east. The fact that Heineken is the most exported brand in the world is mainly because of all the efforts of Pieter Feith. Pieter Feith was also responsible for the construction of the Den Bosch Brewery in the Netherlands. Pieter Feith has been working for the HEINEKEN company for 38 years.

 

 

~1967~

The first fully automated filling line for draught beer is installed in the brewery in Rotterdam.

First computers arrive in Rotterdam:

 

The first KEG filling line is taken into production in Den Bosch:

 

Simultaneously, a new keg type with a built-in extractor tube, the Sankey keg, that fits the new filling line, is put into use.
It will be introduced gradually in the whole country.

 

In 1967 Heineken resumes operation of the Company brewery at Surabaya. (The Indonesian Government sequestrates the Company brewery at Surabaya from 1957 until 1967).

The brewery’s name is changed into Perusahaan Bir Indonesia.

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~1968~

The First Heineken Commercial on TV:

 

Years earlier the board already wanted to take over Amstel, but Freddy never wanted that. Afterall these  years, Freddy Heineken decides now is the time to take over the Amstel Brouwerij N.V. ,securing its share in the Netherlands internal market, which is heavily under threat from foreign competitors. As a result of the take-over of Amstel, Heineken acquires interests in the following breweries that were associated with Amstel: -Surinaamse Brouwerij N.V., Paramaribo, Surinam -Atilliaanse Brouwerij N.V., Willemstad, Curacao -Jordan Brewery Co. Ltd., Amman, Jordan -Brasserie et Malterie Almaza S.A.L., Beirout, Lebanon -Athenian Brewery S.A., Athens, Greece -Brasserie de Madagascar, Tananarive, Madagascar

Vrumona

Heineken takes over soft drinks producer Vrumona N.V. in Bunnik (the Netherlands).

 

Increasingly at home in the world, Heineken is still a foreign guest in Europe. While it has a top position as an import in the premium segment of the market, it is not dominant in the European market as a whole. Alfred Heineken develops a strategy to change that and begins producing beer within European countries.

HEINEKEN introduces the 50cl bottle

Besides the new bottle, the wooden crates are replaced with yellow crates that carry 24 bottles. The development was fully done by HEINEKEN: 

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~1969~

Heineken campaign to show the new products:

A license agreement is concluded with Whitbread & Co. Ltd. (U.K.) for the production of Heineken beer for the English market. The beer will be brewed in the new Whitbread brewery in Luton near London. Sales will show spectacular growth in the years to come. Licensing as a method of internationalization was applied by Amstel Brouwerij N.V. already in the years before.

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~1970~

Participation in the Belgian group Interbra S.A. ( holding of 8 breweries and 4 soft drinks factories in Central Africa) is converted into a bigger, direct stake in these companies.

Establishment of Ibecor S.A. for the coordination of the management of these companies.

A new phase of extension of the brewery in ‘s Hertogenbosch is completed; the annual production capacity is now 3.8 million hectoliters.

The Company takes a 50% participating interest in Coeberghs’ Verenigde Distilleerderijen N.V. in Schiedam.

Sales of beer produced under the supervision of Heineken: 11,300,000 hectoliters.

The Company’s main interests abroad:

• Malayan Breweries in Singapore;
• Perusahaan Bir Indonesia;
• Bottle manufacturers Boukin in Zaire;
• Bralima, Zaire;
• Bralirwa, Ruanda;
• Brarudi, Burundi;
• Brasserie de Brazzaville in the People’s Republic of Congo;
• Kumasi Brewery in Ghana;
• Nigerian Breweries;
• Ibecor in Brussels; Antilliaanse Brouwerij, Curacao;
• Brasserie Lorraine,Martinique;
• Surinaamse Brouwerij in Paramaribo;
• Athenian Brewery in Athens;
• Albert Maltings in Belgium.

In 1970 Heineken entered the stout market by buying the failing James J. Murphy brewery in Cork, Ireland. In addition to Murphy’s Irish Stout, which dated back to 1856, the brewery produced Heineken light lager brew under license.

 

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~1971~

Henry Pierre Heineken passes away at the age of 85. Alfred Heineken is appointed Chairman of the Executive Board.

Heineken was President Director of HEINEKEN from 1917 until 1940. Under his leadership, HEINEKEN became  the first company that had pension regulations (1923). From 1940 to 1951 he was delegated commissioner.  in 1938 he became knight in order of the Dutch Lion, and in France he got “Legion d’Honneur”. His name is attached to the “H.P. Heineken price” that is given every 3 years to the person who did an exeptional performance.  He established breweries in Singapore, the Dutch East Indies, the Belgian Congo and Egypt.

In 1971 HEINEKEN acquired 80 hectares of land in the “Oude Groenendijkse” diked marsh, also known as the “Barrepolder”, in the municipality of Zoeterwoude. On this terrain a new brewery was built, replacing the old HEINEKEN brewery in Rotterdam. In comparison, the Rotterdam brewery was built on 4 hectares.

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~1972~

	Acquisition of a majority participating interest in the share capital of Holding Company l’Esperance (the French ALBRA group, then the third brewing group of France). Ton, R.Wagner, Heineken and J. Wagner at Albra
The Company’s Bierbrouwerij Maatschappij N.V. is renamed HEINEKEN N.V
HEINEKEN beer began to be produced in Sierra Leone and Trinidad under licence

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~1973~

In 1973, Heineken enters the Jamaican market when  D&G began brewing Heineken beer through a joint venture with Heineken.

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~1974~

Plans for the Zoeterwoude Brewery:

 

 

Together with Whitbread, The Company acquires a majority participating interest in the Italian brewing group Birra Dreher

The main brands of the Dreher brewery:

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~1975~

Opening of the Zoeterwoude brewery (80Ha) which would replace the Rotterdam Brewery (4Ha).

New breweries in Thessaloniki (Greece) and Martinique become operational. Acquisition of an interest in Duncan, Gilbey and Matheson, manufacturers of distilled products, mainly operating in Africa. Within a couple of years this stake has increased to 100%.

The brewery of Rotterdam is decommisioned.

Heineken introduces en new label:

Ofcourse there are no major changes. Small changes are: Rotterdam is replaced by Zoeterwoude, new font, the edges of the black ribbon are a bit flatter, and the trademark symbol is added

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~1976~

Brewing under License in St. Lucia and Tahiti

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~1978~

Brewing under license Ireland:

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~1979~

Official inauguration by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands of the distillery (with grain-alcohol roasting house) in Zoetermeer.

Heineken increases its participation in the Dreher Group (Italy) from 90% to nearly 100%.

When Heineken’s interest in the French brewing group ALBRA increases to 100%., ALBRA is renamed Heineken France S.A.

Heineken achieves broad market leadership in Europe through many acquisitions, and finetunes its communication and products
to appeal to consumers in each local culture. These vary hugely: the English are used to weak dark ales;
the Italians still have mainly a wine culture; the three Swiss language regions each have their own different expectations.

Heineken becomes a fixture in traditional bars from Dublin to Geneva.

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~1980~

Brewing under License in Morocco.

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~1981~

Brewing under License in Greece and South Korea.

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~1982~

The Amstel brewery in Amsterdam closes down. Production is transferred to the Heineken brewery in Zoeterwoude.

Heineken takes over Brouwerij de Ridder B.V. in Maastricht (the Netherlands).

Heineken doubles its participation in a number of companies in Central Africa by acquiring shares already issued.

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~1983~

The kidnapping of Freddy Heineken, chairman of the board of directors and CEO of the brewing company Heineken International and one of the richest people in the Netherlands,[1] and his driver Ab Doderer, was a crime that took place between 9 and 30 November 1983 in Amsterdam. They were released on a ransom of 35 million Dutch guilders (about 16 million Euros). The kidnappers Cor van Hout, Willem Holleeder, Jan Boelaard, Frans Meijer, and Martin Erkamps, were eventually caught and served prison terms. Before being extradited, Van Hout and Holleeder stayed for more than three years in France, first on the run, then in prison, and then, awaiting a change of the extradition treaty, under house arrest, and finally in prison again. Meijer escaped and lived in Paraguay for years, until he was discovered by Peter R. de Vries and imprisoned there.

Heineken (left) and Doderer (2 December 1983)

Heineken takes over , or takes shares in the following breweries:

	Bralima Bralima produces a wide variety of beers and other beverages, including Primus beer, Mützig, Turbo King, Guinness, alcohol-free Maltina
	Murphys Local Irish history pits the Guinness drinkers of Dublin squarely against the Murphy’s drinkers of Cork. There has long been a lively rivalry between the two, with Murphy’s viewed as the more “craft” stout, and Guinness being the more mainstream. After years as a solely local stout, the acquisition of the brewery by Heineken in 1983, with a consequent expansion in distribution and international television advertising, exposed Murphy’s to the international drinking community.
	The company enters into brewing cooperation in Brazil with Coca-Cola bottlers, producing Kaiser beer. Today Cervejaria Kaiser is the third brewing group of Brazil.
	Kirin Brewery Company Ltd. starts to brew Heineken under license in Japan.

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~1984~

Production of Heineken beer begins for the domestic market in Singapore.

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~1986~

HEINEKEN acquires Brasseries the Bourbon, Ile de la Reunion.

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~1987~

Not many people can say this, but Alfred Heineken can! Ï have my own Tulip! In 1987 the first Alfred Heineken Tulips are grown:

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~1988~

Heineken takes over Brasserie Pelforth (Pelforth brewery). Pelforth was first brewed in 1935 using two different types of malt and English yeast. The name came from “Pel” for pelican, “forte” for strong, because it contains a lot of malt (43 kg/hL), and the h added to give it an English feel. In addition to the Blonde (5.8% abv) and Brune (6.5% abv), Pelforth Amber (6% abv) was introduced in 2003. The Pelforth brewery also produces George Killian’s, a 6.5% amber among connoisseurs, it is “famous for its strong speciality beers”

 

 

Introduction of Buckler alcohol-free beer in France, Spain, the Netherlands and Ireland. Buckler is a low alcohol (0.5% abv) pale lager. It was launched in the summer of 1988, and is distributed worldwide. There was a recall in 2004 due to a fault in the pasteurising process. Buckler is no longer available in the Netherlands (Heinekens’ home market) after the brand’s image declined following Dutch cabaret performer Youp van ‘t Hek mocking the brand (and its consumers) in a show in 1989. Buckler was the beverage of choice for US Vice President Joe Biden at the “Beer Summit” with Henry Louis Gates, Joe Crowley and President Barack Obama. The event was the result of the controversial arrest of Henry Louis Gates, which gained national attention regarding law enforcement racial profiling. Former US President George W. Bush, who claimed that he gave up drinking alcoholic beverages after turning 40, drank Buckler while relaxing with Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Tony Blair on June 8, 2007 during a break in the G8 summit.

This year is marked by a joint venture via Asia Pacific Breweries with third parties in the Mila Brewery in Shanghai (China)

 

Alfred ‘Freddy’ Heineken retires from the Board, having reached the age limit laid down in the company’s Articles of Association.
He is appointed Chairman and Delegated Member of the Supervisory Council.

Heineken has become the second largest brewer in the world with the world’s most international brand, selling in over 170 countries.
The core values upon which it was built – consistent top quality, engaging people through their own culture, and also its social awareness –
have allowed the company to renew itself over and over again.

 

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~1989~

Heineken buys shares of the Brand Brewery in Wijlre. Brand is one of the oldest breweries in Holland

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~1990~

Malayan Breweries was renamed to Asia Pacific Breweries Limited:

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~1991~

Leo van Munching

Heineken takes over Van Munching & Co., its sole importer in the United States. This ends the remarkable lifetime contracts awarded Leo van Munching and his son in 1960 in recognition of their achievement as the first and only US importers of Heineken. Leo sr. was initially appointed in 1945. Through his work, Heineken became a best-loved import in the US, an achievement that remains as unique as his contract. This business then became officially known as Heineken USA, the U.S. arm of subsidiary Heineken Worldwide.

This year xpansion into Eastern Europe begins with the purchase of a majority stake in Hungary-based Komáromi Sörgyár RT.

HEINEKEN replaces the widely known slogan “Heerlijk Helder Heineken” with a new campaign and slogan “Bier zoals bier bedoeld is” (Beer as it was ment to be).

 

On the 31st of januari 1991 Jhr. P.R. Feith passed away at the age of 90. Mr Feith was one of the builders of the Heineken company. He work for 38 years for Heineken, and was member of the board between 1941 en 1966. He was mainly responsible for the xport to the USA together with van Munching, and the exploration of Asia for Heineken beer. Under his management, the brewery of Den bosch was build

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~1992~

 

HEINEKEN replaced the label with the red lips with the Green logo as we know it today:

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~1993~

Heineken signed a joint agreement to become the first foreign beer producer in Vietnam. A US$42.5 million brewery located near Ho Chi Minh City began producing beer under the Heineken and Tiger labels.

Karel Vuursteen became Heineken’s chairman in 1993 and continued to expand the company’s international presence focusing on Latin America, the Far East, Scandinavia, and Middle Europe

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~1994~

Heineken acquires a 24.9% participating interest in the Polish brewery, Zywiec S.A. Zywiec has a leading position in the premium segment of the Polish beer market, three breweries with a total production capacity of 1.1 million hectolitres, and a share of 7% of the Polish beer market.

 

Heineken acquires interests (52.3%) in Calanda Brau, Switzerland. Heineken now has a 12% marketshare in Switzerland.

An agreement is signed with Hainan Brewery Co. Ltd. (HBCL) for the construction of a third brewery in China to meet fast-growing demand in what has already become the world’s second-largest beer market. Heineken, itself the world’s second-largest brewer, said it had signed an agreement with its Chinese partner, the Hainan Brewery Company, for a share in the new brewery on Hainan Island, costing $67.5 million in the first phase. The brewery will be 80 percent owned by Asia Pacific Breweries Ltd., in which Heineken and the Singapore brewer Fraser & Neave each hold 42.5 percent. Hainan Brewery will take the remaining 20 percent of the venture, which will make Tiger beer for the local market.

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~1995~

In early 1995 Heineken acquired Interbrew Italia S.p.A., whose brands included Stella Artois and Classica von Wunster, from Interbrew S.A. of Belgium, increasing Heineken’s Italian market share from 25 to 30 percent. Interbrew Italia was merged into Heineken Italia S.p.A. In October

HEINEKEN also aqcuires the following breweries:

Zagorka	The Zagorka brewery was founded in 1902 and is based in Stara Zagora, Bulgaria. The brewery brews various Heineken brands for distribution within Bulgaria, and three exclusive brands: Zagorka (Bulgarian: Загорка, 5% abv), named after the brewery’s home city of Stara Zagora; and Stolichno (a 6.5% abv strong dark lager or bock) and Ariana (a 4.5% pale lager), both originally produced in Sofia by the Ariana Brewery.
Zlatý Bažant	Zlatý Bažant (Golden Pheasant) is the most exported Slovak beer brand. It was founded in 1967 and is produced at its brewery in Hurbanovo
	Królewskie (Polish for “royal”): Królewskie, a brand of beer produced by Warka Brewery, a subsidiary of the Grupa Zywiec S.A.

Freddy Heineken is voted for Advertiser of the year on the International Advertising Festival in Cannes.

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~1996~

Heineken takes a majority of  shares in Birra Moretti. Birra Moretti was founded in Udine in 1859 by Luigi Moretti, selling the brewing plant to the new Castello beer company.
There are eight beers under the Birra Moretti brand. Birra Moretti is the main brand, a 4.6% abv pale lager launched in 1859; followed by La Rossa is a 7.2% strong dark lager or dunkel. Other brands include Doppio Malto, Baffo d’Oro, and Sans Souci.

Early this year the company acquired the fourth largest brewer in France, the Fischer Group

Heineken thereby gained the number two position in France, with 35% market share, and the top spot in Italy, with 38% of the market.

The company withdrew from its Myanmar venture, concerned about the human rights situation there and the impact its presence there might have on the company’s reputation.

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~1997~

I started my career at Heineken with the Heineken Export Group, so this always has a special place in my heart…:)

The HAINAN brewery is opened!

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~1998~

The Heineken University is opened. This is a training infrastructure designed for the optimal use and expansion of know-how and experience within the company.

Poland was the focus during 1998. That year Heineken increased its stake in Zywiec to 75%, then merged Zywiec with Brewpole, the largest brewing group in the country and maker of the popular EB brand. Heineken held a controlling 50 percent stake in the enlarged Zywiec, which commanded 38% of the Polish market. Also in 1998 Heineken gained a 25% stake in Pivara Skopje A.D., the leading beer maker in Macedonia with a market share of 70%.

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~1999~

In the Netherlands, the Heineken brand is voted ‘Brand of the Century’ and Alfred Henry Heineken is proclaimed ‘Advertiser of the century’.

Heineken agreed to buy Spain’s biggest brewer, Cruzcampo, from Diageo for 145 billion pesetas ($914 million). Buying Diageo’s 88.2% of Cruzcampo gives Heineken control of about 40% of the spanisch market when combined with its own El Aguila, which has a market share of about 16%.

 

The yellow crates are being replaced with the green crates

 

Continue to Part 3 https://famvandermeer.com/green-room/heineken-2000-present/

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Used sites:

http://www.heinekencollection.com
http://www.theheinekencompany.com
http://www.heinekenasiapacific.com/
http://www.hollandamericablog.com
http://patto1ro.home.xs4all.nl
https://stadsarchief.amsterdam.nl/
http://www.worldfairs.info/
http://www.the-linde-group.com/
http://www.beercoasters.it/
https://en.wikipedia.org

Used Books

Dutch Culture in a European Perspective: 1900, the age of bourgeois culture
150 years of Heineken
Gerard Heineken, de man, de stad en het bier
Journal of the Institute of Brewing, Volume 43, Issue 4, July-August 1937, page 296.
International Entrepeneurship in the Family Business
Heineken in Africa
Vers van ‘t Vat 1955 – 2000
Heineken Year reports 1930-1950
The world of Heineken 1989-1999