Lao Brewery Company
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The Lao Brewery Company Ltd. (L.B.C.) (ບໍລິສັັັດ ເບຍລາວ ຈໍາກັດ Bolisad Beerlao Chamkad) is a producer of beer and bottled drinking water in Laos headquartered in Vientiane.
[edit] History
Founded in 1971, the Lao Brewery Company was at that time a joint-venture between French and Lao businessmen. It took up production in 1973 with a capacity of 3 million liters per year. The company, then called Brasseries et Glacières du Laos (BGL), marketed Bière Larue for the local market and "33" export for export (to territories in Indochina).
With the establishment of the Lao PDR in 1975, the company was nationalized and obtained the status of a State-Owned Enterprise. It marketed its beer first under the Bière Lao brand then (early 1995) as Beerlao. Their brand "33" export was marketed till 1990, and Bière Larue till 1995.
In the wake of the 1986 economic reform program, which initiated a transition from central planning to a market-oriented economy and the launching of the New Economic Mechanism (NEM), the LBC in 1993 entered into a joint venture: 49% Lao Government-owned with 51% foreign investment (Loxley: 25.5% and Italian: 25.5%) with a production capacity of 20 million liters per year (employees: 300).
In 2002 the foreign investors withdrew their share from LBC, and the Lao Government regained total control of the company. Subsequently, Carlsberg and TCC, a Thai company who is Carlsberg's partner in Thailand, each acquired a 25% share in LBC. The remaining shares are still held by the government of Laos. The maximum capacity at that time was 60 million liters.
In 2005 the company increased its annual production capacity to 85 million liters and in 2007 to 160 million liters. Its manpower is now about 500 employees. Recently a new factory was opened in Pakse with a capacity of 100 million liters per year.
All machines are imported from Europe. The company processes locally grown rice and imports malted barley from France and Belgium, and hops and yeast from Germany.
[edit] Products
The company produces and markets 3 types of beer under the Beerlao brand (Beerlao Lager, Beerlao Light and Beerlao Dark), and locally-brewed Carlsberg lager. It also produces and markets bottled drinking water under the Tiger Head brand.
LBC claims it has a market share of the local beer market of 99% [1]. Its Beerlao is exported to a dozen countries, but the export figures are still modest (though increasing).
