Belgians, Brazilians create world's largest beer brewer

[dArKeR]

AP , SAO PAULO, BRAZIL
Sunday, Aug 29, 2004,Page 11

Belgium's Interbrew SA and Brazil's AmBev completed their planned US$11.4 billion combination on Friday after shareholders of both companies approved the deal that creates the world's largest brewer by volume.

Interbrew shareholders unanimously approved the linkup of their family company with AmBev, whose full name is Companhia da Bebidas das Americas, creating a new company called InBev that will control about 14 percent of the global beer market.

AmBev said its shareholders also approved the union, but did not provide a vote breakdown on the margin of victory for the merger. It makes InBev the planet's largest beer producer and No. 2 by revenue behind US-based Anheuser-Busch, which had sales of US$14.1 billion last year.

http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/biz/archives/2004/08/29/2003200757

[Kellanved]

1. there is a huge centralization movement among European Brewers

Biggest danger to European Beer ever.