Austrian Brau-Union breweries unveil restructuring plan

Polish breweries Van Pur, Kujawiak of Bydgoszcz and Browary Warszawskie, controlled by Austrian group Brau-Union, will most likely combine their administrative structures as part of a plan to capture 10% of the Polish beer market by the end of 2001 The management of each brewery plans to relocate to Warsaw, where the Brau-Union's Polish headquarters will be located. This corporate union is intended to make management of the whole group easier, while limiting costs, creating a uniform advertising strategy, and improving distribution efficiency. As a result of the restructuring, some weak-performing brands could disappear from the market, and staff reductions in specific breweries are also quite likely. Meanwhile the Austrian concern plans to enlarge its Polish group, possibly taking over other breweries such as Lublin-based Browary Lubelskie Per3a.(Puls Biznesu, p. 3)