The stake in this deal is the Bere Azuga brand, a traditional local beer. Ursus officials confirmed the information. The company’s President and CEO, Stephan Maria Weber, said: “Ursus Breweries adds one of the most renowned Romanian beer brands in its portfolio.” Bere Azuga was one of the last independent brewers. Other small producers are Martens Galati, Bermas Suceava, and Albrau Onesti. Another major brewer, Heineken, recently acquired local Bere Mures company. Following this deal, the battle for market leadership between Ursus Breweries and its main competitor, Heineken’s local subsidiary, is becoming tougher. Both producers have some 30 percent in market share each.
The buyer paid RON 8 (€ 1.9) per share. The businessman controlled 60.6 percent of the company, together with Rombas Trans International company. The deal was concluded on the Rasdaq electronic market of the Bucharest Stock Exchange (BVB). “Negotiations with Ursus started several months ago. It seems they were in a hurry, given there were other companies interested in the Azuga takeover,” sources told Business Standard. They added that strong Middle Eastern companies were also interested in the brewer. The local beer market is worth in excess of €1 billion. Besides Heineken and Ursus Breweries, other major players on the local market are InBev, United Romanian Breweries Bereprod (URBB), and European Drinks. (V.P.)
