Bralirwa
| Type | Public: RSE: BLRW |
|---|---|
| Industry | Brewing |
| Founded | 1957 |
| Headquarters | Kigali, Rwanda |
| Key people |
Jonathan Hall Managing Director |
| Products | Beer, Soft Drinks |
| Revenue | US$109.5 million (RWF:64.96 billion) (2011) |
| Net income |
 Aftertax:US$24.8 million (RWF:14.7 billion)[1] |
| Total assets | US$11.7 million (1997) |
| Employees | 1,031 (1997) |
| Website | Homepage |
Bralirwa, also known by its French name Brasseries et Limonaderies du Rwanda, is the largest brewer and soft beverage company in the Republic of Rwanda.
History
The history of Bralirwa goes back to 1957. The management of the breweries of the Congo and Burundi, then under the management of Brasseries de Leopoldville (Brewery of Kinshasa), decided to build another brewery in the Eastern region. The city of Gisenyi, on the northern shores of Lake Kivu, was selected to house the new brewery. Gisenyi was selected for two reasons: (a) It was easily accessible, by water, land and air and (b) Lake Kivu has a large quantity of proven reserves of methane gas, a source of alternative energy. The brewery became operational in 1959 and began producing Primus beer, the only brand produced until 1987. In 1987, a new premium local beer brand, Mützig was introduced. In 1989, Bralirwa began making Guinness under license.
In 1971, the Heineken Group, a Dutch brewing conglomerate, acquired a 70% majority share in Bralirwa. With the acquisition, Bralirwa greatly improved its brewing process. In 1974, Bralirwa diversified into the production of soft drinks. A soft beverages plant was opened in Kigali, Rwanda's capital and largest city. The brewer partnered with the Coca-Cola Company, which allowed Bralirwa to widen the range of products manufactured.
Today, Bralirwa is a regionally and internationally recognized brewer and soft beverage manufacturer with an expanding portfolio of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.[2]
Ownership
The shares of stock of the company are listed on the Rwanda Stock Exchange (RSE), where they trade under the symbol BLRW. The Heineken Group owns 75% of the shares of the company. The remaining 25% are owned by individual and institutional investors. In December 2009, the Government of Rwanda successfully divested from the company by selling 5% shareholding directly to the Heineken Group and by listing the remaining 25% on the RSE, through an Initial Public Offering (IPO).[3] As of February 2011, the ownership of the company stock is as depicted in the table below:[4]
| Bralirwa Stock Ownership | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ManagementAs of December 2011, the top management at Bralirwa includes the following individuals: [6]
OperationsThe Bralirwa brewery is located in Gisenyi, approximately 117 kilometres (73 mi), by road, west of Kigali, Rwanda's capital city.[7] The administrative headquarters of the company are located in Kigali. Also located in Kigali is the Soft Beverages Plant, where Coca-Cola carbonated beverages of are manufactured under license. In May 2011, press reports indicated that the company was in the process of establishing a new soft drinks manufacturing line at the company's plant in Kicukiro, a suburb of Kigali, and upgrading its brewing plant in Gisenyi.[8] BrandsThe brands manufactured by Bralirwa include: BeersSoft drinksExternal linksPhotosSee alsoReferences
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
