SABMILLER SPREADING ITS PRESENCE

SABMiller was given the okay to purchase a majority stake in Slovakia’s third-largest brewery, Topvar March 14. The brewing giant will soon take control of 67% of Topvar which will provide $15.2 million in assets. With Heineken controlling the largest brewery in the country and SABMiller overseeing the second-largest, Saris, the two companies will control 80% of Slovakia’s beer market. Although monopoly watchdogs feared it was putting too much power in the hands of Heineken and SABMiller, they eventually “found no evidence of collusive activity between the two firms.” The two breweries are in fact very competitive with one another as they race to spread their presence throughout the globe. SABMiller now controls 40% of Slovakia’s beer industry, slightly lower than Heineken’s market share.

The company also announced they have offered $400 million to buy out the remaining shares of Peru’s Union de Cervecerias. They acquired the firm, better known as Backus, after buying a majority interest in Bavaria.