AB InBev Expands in Asia Pacific
Anheuser-Busch InBev has successfully completed the acquisition of Oriental Brewery, the leading brewer in South Korea. The acquisition returns OB to the AB InBev portfolio after AB InBev sold the company in July 2009.
OB is now the largest brewer in South Korea, an attractive beer market with a strong domestic growth outlook. Additionally, Cass has become the number one beer brand in the country, with a healthy consumer brand preference.
Carlos Brito, chief executive of Anheuser-Busch InBev, says: “We are excited to welcome the Oriental Brewery team back to the AB InBev family. We look forward to re-integrating OB into our global platform, as we endeavor to strengthen our position in the Asia Pacific region and continue growing our brands and providing additional consumer choice in South Korea.”
Once OB has been fully re-integrated into AB InBev, the company expects to drive premium growth by maximizing the combined portfolios of leading beer brands and to achieve improved efficiencies through best-practice sharing. AB InBev also plans to leverage its global platform to export OB brands more widely. AB InBev drew on existing liquidity to fund the acquisition.
