Kirin Company, Limited (???????, Kirin Kabushiki-gaisha) is an integrated beverages company. It is a subsidiary of Kirin Holdings Company, Limited. Its major operating units include Kirin Brewery Company, Limited, Mercian Corporation and Kirin Beverages Company, Limited. Kirin is a member of the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) keiretsu.
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History
The Japan Brewery Company, Limited, the forerunner of Kirin Brewery, was established in 1885, taking over the assets of the Spring Valley Brewery, first founded in Yokohama in 1869 by Norwegian-American brewer, William Copeland. In a deal brokered by Thomas Blake Glover, the Japan Brewery was incorporated in Hong Kong in the name of W.H. Talbot and E.H. Abbott with financial backing provided by a group of Japanese investors including Iwasaki Yanosuke, then-president of Mitsubishi.
The Japan Brewery first began marketing Kirin Beer in 1888. The Kirin Brewery Company was established as a separate legal entity in February 1907, purchasing the assets of the Japan Brewery and expanding the business in an era of growing consumer demand. Kirin Brewery built on the traditions of the Japan Brewery retaining the use of malted grains and hops imported from Germany and employing German brewers to oversee production. An exclusive partnership with Meidi-ya proved highly successful in the marketing of Kirin's beers both in Japan and overseas.
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Corporate overview
Kirin Brewery sells two of the most popular beers in Japan: Kirin Lager, one of the country's oldest beer brands which started brewing in 1888; and Ichiban Shibori. Within the happoshu (low-malt) category, Kirin Tanrei is the top seller. Kirin handles domestic distribution for several foreign brands, including Budweiser and Heineken.
Kirin's brewery operations also extend overseas, through strategic alliances, subsidiaries, and affiliates, to China, Taiwan, Australia, the Philippines, Europe, New Zealand and the United States. The company holds a 100% stake in Lion Nathan Limited, a consolidated subsidiary that is based in Australia but has particularly important operations in China. Kirin has a 48% stake in San Miguel Brewery, the dominant brewer in the Philippines. Kirin now applies its fermentation technology to areas such as plant genetics, pharmaceuticals, and bioengineering. Although brewing and related businesses remain the core of Kirin's activities, the company is also involved in several other sectors: hard liquor, wine, soft drinks, and food products.
In Japanese, "kirin" can refer to giraffes, or to Qilin, the mythical hooved Chinese chimerical creatures. Kirin Brewery is named after the latter.
On 14 July 2009, Kirin announced that it was in negotiations with Suntory on a merger. On 8 February 2010, it was announced that negotiations between the two had been terminated.
In early 2010 Kirin's Agribio business was sold to Dutch H2 Equity Partners; now it's part of Dümmen Orange.
In 2010, 23.4 percent of Kirin's sales were made overseas, the highest overseas revenue among all Japanese breweries.
In October 2011, the court decided that Kirin could buy a majority stake in family-run Brazilian beer Schincariol. Kirin bought a 50.45 percent stake in 2011, valued at $2.6 billion.
In November 2011, Kirin Holdings Company agreed to buy out the shareholders in Brazilian beermaker Schincariol Participacoes e Representacoes, completing its biggest acquisition as it seeks growth in emerging markets ($1.35 billion was paid for the 49.54 percent stake, giving it control of all outstanding shares).
In November 2012, Kirin changed Schincariol's name to Brasil Kirin.
In 2013 Kirin joined leading alcohol producers as part of a producers' commitments to reducing harmful drinking.
In February 2013, Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi bought the 15% stake of Singapore's Fraser & Neave (F&N), a property-to-drinks conglomerate, from Kirin for USD $1.6 billion.
In July 2014, Kirin announced its intention to revive the Spring Valley Brewery brand as a wholly owned subsidiary company to focus on producing and retailing microbrewery style beers produced using traditional ingredients and brewing methods.
On January 20, 2017, Heineken NV and Kirin Holdings confirmed they were in negotiations for Heineken to acquire Kirin's beer operations in Brazil.
Holdings in Japan
Alcoholic beverage business
- Kirin Distillery Company, Limited (Renamed from Kirin-Seagram Ltd. on July 1, 2002)
- Ei Sho Gen Company, Limited
- Kirin Communications Stage Company, Limited
Soft drink business
- Kirin Beverage Company, Limited
- Kinki Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Limited
Logistics
- Kirin Logistics Company, Limited
Engineering
- Kirin Techno-System Company, Limited
- Kirin Engineering Company, Limited
Restaurants
- Kirin Dining Company, Limited
- Kirin City Company, Limited
Real estate
- Kirin Building Management Company., Limited
- Kirin Hotel Development Company, Limited
Other core businesses
- Kirin Echo Company, Limited
Nutrient food
- Kirin Well-Foods Company, Limited
- Takeda-Kirin Foods Corporation
- Cosmo Foods Company, Limited
Agribio
- Kirin Green & Flower Company, Limited
- Flower Gate, Inc.
- Flower Season Company, Limited
- Verdy Company, Limited
- Tokita Seed Company, Limited
- Japan Potato Corporation
Food
- Nagano Tomato Company, Limited
Health
- Kyowa Hakko Kirin Company, Limited
Holdings outside Japan
Alcohol business
- Asia Pacific Breweries (Singapore) (15%)
- Four Roses Distillery (U.S.)
- Kirin Brewery of America LLC (U.S.)
- Kirin Europe GmbH (Germany)
- Lion Nathan Limited (Australia/New Zealand)
- Myanmar Brewery Ltd (Myanmar) 55%
- San Miguel Brewery (Philippines)
- Brasil Kirin (formerly Schincariol, Brazil)
- Taiwan Kirin Company, Limited (Taiwan)
- Zhuhai Kirin President Brewery Company, Limited (China)
Soft drink business
- Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Northern New England (U.S.)
Pharmaceutical business
- Kirin-Amgen, Inc. (U.S.)
- Gemini Science, Inc. (U.S.)
- Hematech Inc. (U.S.)
- Jeil-Kirin Pharmaceutical, Inc. (Korea)
- Kirin Pharmaceuticals Company, Limited (Taiwan)
- Kirin Pharmaceuticals (Asia) Company, Limited (Hong Kong)
- Kirin Kunpeng (China) Bio-Pharmaceutical Company, Limited (China)
Agribio business
- Twyford International, Inc. (U.S.)
- Kirin Agribio EC B.V. (Paris Office) (France)
- Southern Glass House Produce, Limited (England)
- Fides Holding B.V. (Netherlands)
- Barberet & Blanc, S.A. (Spain)
- Qingdao International Seeds Company, Limited (China)
- Germicopa S.A. (France)
- Kirin Agribio Shanghai Company, Limited (China)
Other business
- Kirin Australia Pty., Limited (Australia)
- Indústria Agrícola Tozan Ltda. (Brazil)
See also
- Beer in Japan
- Kirin Cup
- Hangzhou Qiandaohu Beer Company, Limited (Kirin owns a 25% share in this Chinese brewery)
References
External links
- (in English) Official website
- (in Japanese) Official website
- Kirin 100th Anniversary Beers
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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