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Kenya: Press Releases: EABL Announce 16% Top-line Growth for Year Ending June 2011 |
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Thursday, 01 September 2011 |
East African Breweries Limited is pleased to announce its full-year results for the period up to 30 June 2011. The group delivered reported net sales growth of 16% and profit from operations growth of 10% above prior year.
‘Despite a very challenging environment on all fronts, the business delivered very encouraging results, with growth of key brands Tusker and Guinness and an impressive uplift in our spirits performance during the year. We have strengthened the business and increased investment in our brands, our people, our distribution network and our supply business’, said Mr. Seni Adetu, Group Managing Director and CEO, EABL, at the investor briefing this morning.
During the year, EABL innovated with new packaging for its legendary regional brand Tusker Lager which contributed to refreshed consumer awareness and net sales growth. In addition , increased marketing spend behind great activation platforms such as Tusker Project Fame and Guinness Football Challenge led to good growth of Tusker and Guinness in Kenya, while Senator benefitted from an expansion in the distribution footprint. In Kenya, while overall consumer confidence was shaken by introduction of the Alcohol Drinks Control Act, the company nonetheless grew sales by 8%. Uganda delivered a solid performance in the second half as a result of a new-look bottle, improved product availability and operating efficiencies with Bell Lager, reinforcing its leadership position in the Ugandan market.
The acquisition of Serengeti Breweries Ltd. to the EABL stable has added three operational brewery plants situated in the Tanzanian towns of Dar-es-Salaam, Moshi and Mwanza. As a result of the acquisition and with investment in integration and systems upgrade, the group is well poised to consolidate its position in the Eastern Africa region in the alcoholic beverage market. The company is now in its final stages of relinquishing its 20% stake in Tanzania Breweries Limited through a public offering.
Turnover grew by 16% to KES44.9bn over last year’s turnover of KES38.7bn. Profit after tax was KES9bn, representing a 2% growth over prior year.
The Board of Directors has recommended a final dividend of KES6.25 which, together with an interim of dividend of KES2.50, brings the total dividend payout to KES8.75 per share.
Investments: The upgrading of the malting plant in Nairobi which started two years ago continued into the year with new equipment installation. During the year, EAML won three awards in recognition of its excellent safety and environmental management in line with its zero-harm culture.
In Kenya, EABL invested in a new water storage facility with a capacity of 4,000 m3 and upgraded its power supply line from 11KV to 66KV in an effort to stabilize utility supply to the plant and reduce power bills. The carbon dioxide plant was also expanded to optimize production output.
Other regional capacity enhancement capex investments have been ongoing, with a new 50,000 bottle per hour capacity packaging line installed at Uganda Breweries Limited in Kampala, Uganda, in November 2010.
People: The company continued to invest in people, upgrading capability in key positions and significantly uplifting employee engagement at the annual ‘All Staff Conference’ in April 2011. SBL staff attended for the first time.
Community and Social Investment: The EABL Foundation has continued to enrich the lives of East Africans in the past year through various community projects. During the year, the foundation helped provide clean, safe water to 700,000 people in communities throughout East Africa.
EABL continues to take the lead in the Responsible Drinking (RD) agenda in the region. Most recently in Kenya, EABL rolled out a new RD campaign dubbed under the motto “Friends don’t let friends drink and drive.” This campaign seeks to remind consumers to take a taxi or volunteer to be the designated driver. The campaign is a multi-media campaign and is directed at changing the attitudes of consumers towards responsible drinking.
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