| Extra info | On 27 June 1873 Kaufmann founded Franz Gustav Thomas May, the entrepreneurs Lüder Rutenberg and the master brewer Heinrich Beck the emperor brewery Beck & May oHG. The Kaiser brewery sold since 1874 beers in green bottles blown to Bremen restaurants. On October 1, 1875 Thomas May resigned from the company, and the company has now been renamed Kaiser brewery Beck & Co. From 1876 beer was after Pilsener style developed that was ideally suited for the transport overseas. The beer won the gold medal at the World Exhibition in Philadelphia for "the best of all continental beers". The image of the medal and the Bremer Schlüssel (1877) first appeared as a signet on the label. The beer became known as Key and Key Beer Beer worldwide. 1884 oval label was a rightward key as trademarks protected. The export of Kaiser beer started in 1886 with the Reichspostdampfer line to the Far East.
The beer cooling in 1888 changed from natural ice on machine-made ice cream. 1882 joined rods Bergs son Lambert Leisewitz into the management of the brewery. He expanded and modernized the operation. After Rutenberg had retired from the brewery, were from 1890 Leisewitz and Georg Wertgen personally liable partners of the brewery.
After the death of Lüder Rutenberg in 1890 the company became the emperor brewery Beck & Co KG. 1893 a bacteriological laboratory for testing the raw materials and the beer was established. 1900 Export sales rose for the first time more than 100,000 hectoliters. Australia was established in 1906 with an important annual purchase of more than 30,000 cases of international market. In 1909, the emperor brewery Beck & Co was KGaA founded. The Nienburg Glashütte Himly, Holscher & Co took over a limited partner at the firm. The total emissions rose in 1911 for the first time about 200,000 hectoliters. Due to the war the export business with the beginning of came World War I to a halt. The brewery supplied the German troops and was able to survive. However, the output fell to 100,000 hectoliters.
1917 Wilhelm Remmer brewery was bought in Bremen and 1918 the majority of shares of the St. Pauli Brewery - the strongest competitor in international markets - taken. 1921 the entire domestic business was transferred to the newly established Haake Beck Brauerei A. G. The Kaiser brewery now renamed itself in Export Beck & Co. brewery. 1924 Beck & Co. took a majority stake in Nienburg Glashütte Himly, Holscher & Co. The at this time as opposed to the traditional wooden casks not yet in widespread V2A -Nirosta barrels for beer transportation were introduced 1928th 1931 Beck & Co began the construction of two breweries in Batavia and Java. The ABC-breweries (archipelago Brewerie Company) took 1933 and 1934 on the operation.
Due to the takeover of the Nazis and the calls for a boycott against Germany the export market broke from 1934th Deliveries fell to 70,000 hectoliters. 1936 took over the Beck & Co. KG, the assets and liabilities of the emperor brewery Beck & Co Kaa and a year later the Beck bought the Winterhuder brewery in Hamburg. With the onset of World War II, the export of beer came to a standstill. The breweries in Singapore and Batavia were seized. Unit sales in 1939/40 fell to 40,616 hectoliters. 1944 large parts of the production facilities were destroyed by bombs. The brewing activities had to be stopped in 1945.
In 1948 again beer was brewed. In December, the first 200 boxes were exported to Bangkok. First time in 1949 Beck's was sold domestically. 1953 canning line for America export has been opened. The first nationwide ad campaign in the magazine "Der Spiegel" ran in 1955 under the slogan: "Beck's (beer) deletes men thirst". There followed in 1958 the first spot on German television.
Domestic sales exceeded 1960 for the first time 100,000 hectoliters and 1964 domestic sales of 248,242 hectoliters was the first time greater than the sales abroad with 189 637 hectoliters. The three-dose pack was developed in 1967 and 1968, followed by the development of "Beck'sers", a six-carrier for 0.33 liter bottles. One million hectoliters of beer sold in 1973 (domestic: 604,000 hectoliters, abroad: 597,000 hl) and 1974 Beck's as draft beer in Germany introduced. The slogan in 1975 changed by men thirst for Connoisseur Durst ("Beck's (beer) deletes connoisseur thirst").
The Bremer refreshments GmbH was acquired in 1979 On 1 October 1981 merged Beck & Co. and Haake Beck Brauerei AG With sales of 2.964 million hectoliters a total limit of the million in 1983 exceeded for export. A tall ship with green sails campaigned since 1984 for Beck's. Since 1988 drives the tall ship, the Alexander von Humboldt, advertising for Beck's. In 1990, the new slogan - "Beck's - lace-Pilsener of the world" - on the market. "Sail Away" in 1992 advertising song by Beck's. The song was first of Hans Hartz and from 1995 by Joe Cocker singing. A new slogan is from 2001. "The Beck's Experience".
From 1989, Beck & Co. took part in the North American Dribeck Importers, which was renamed in Beck's North America 1998th The United States were the largest foreign market of Beck & Co. After the turnaround took Beck & Co. In 1991, the Rostock brewery. Began in 1992 a cooperation with the southeast China Golden Key Brewery, which built a new brewery to brew Beck's licenses for the Chinese market. 1993 Beck's alcohol free was introduced. Total sales of Beck & Co. exceeded 1994, the mark of five million hectoliters. The new visitor center opened its doors in 1997.
1999 Beck & Co. shareholders at the Namibia Breweries Limited (NBL), Windhoek in Namibia, and from 2000 was Beck's is brewed for the African market. The Belgian company Interbrew (now: Anheuser-Busch InBev) took over the brewery in February 2002 at a cost of 1.8 billion euros. Sold now: 2002 Nienburg Glas GmbH to Rexam, 2003, the Rostock brewery to the Radeberger Gruppe Brau & Brunnen, 2005, Bremer refreshments GmbH and 2007 the investment in nordIT GmbH. The Group managed for cost reasons 2005. the traditional Bremer Bierkutscher who had delivered the beer with horses. The only a few years old horse stable was rebuilt and is now used as an office.
From 2003 to 2006 were introduced to the market: Beck's Gold, Beck's Green Lemon, Perfect Draft (home tap), Beck's Chilled Orange and Beck's Level 7, 2008, the products Beck's Green Lemon has been alcohol free and introduced Beck's Ice.. The so-called Weser cellar - a standing directly at the Weser landmark building, in which disused fermentation and storage tanks were - was canceled.
Following the acquisition of the Spaten-Löwenbräu Group by Interbrew (now Anheuser-Busch InBev), the German investments and brands are increasingly being managed and controlled by the corporate headquarters in Bremen.
In January 2014, the imposed Bundeskartellamt against four major brewers for price fixing of draft and bottled beers in a beer cartel 2006-2008 a penalty payment of € 106.5 million. Beck's itself remained of a penalty ruled out because the owner had reported these |
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