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 Headquarters inNakano, Tokyo | |
Native name | キリンホールディングス株式会社 |
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Romanized name | Kirin Hōrudingusu kabushiki gaisha |
| Formerly | Kirin Brewery Company, Limited (1907-2007) |
| Company type | PublicKK |
| Industry | Beverage |
| Predecessor | Spring Valley Brewery Company |
| Founded | 1885; 140 years ago (1885) (as Japan Brewery Company) 23 February 1907; 118 years ago (1907-02-23) (as Kirin Brewery Company) |
| Founder | William Copeland Thomas Blake Glover |
| Headquarters | , Japan |
Key people | Hideki Horiguchi (President and CEO) |
| Services | Strategic management and oversight of the domestic beverage business. |
Number of employees | 30,464 (consolidated) |
| Subsidiaries | Kirin Brewery Company Kirin Beverage Company Mercian Corporation Kyowa Kirin (50.10%) |
| Website | www |
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TheKirin Holdings Company, Limited. (キリンホールディングス株式会社) is a Japanese beer and beverageholding company. It is known for brands such as Kirin Beer, Kirin Lemon, Mets, and Gogo no Kōcha.
The predecessor of the company, theJapan Brewery Company, was founded inYokohama in 1885 by William Henry Talbot and Edgar Abbott. In 1888, they launched Kirin Beer. In 1907, the business of JBC[further explanation needed] was inherited[by whom?], andKirin Brewery Company was established. In 2007, it became Kirin Holdings Company, a holding company, with Kirin Beer Company, Kirin Beverage Company, andMercian Corporation as its main subsidiaries. As a result, the brewery division was taken over by the second incarnation of Kirin Brewery.
In Japanese, "Kirin" can refer to giraffes, or toQilin (麒麟), the mythical hooved Chinese chimerical creatures inEast Asian culture. Kirin Brewery is named after the latter.
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 inYokohama in 1869 by Norwegian-American brewer,William Copeland. In a deal brokered byThomas Blake Glover, Japan Brewery was incorporated inHong Kong in the name of W. H. Talbot and E. H. Abbott with financial backing provided by a group of Japanese investors includingIwasaki Yanosuke, then-president of Mitsubishi.[1][2]
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 Japan Brewery retaining the use ofmalted grains andhops imported from Germany and employing German brewers to oversee production. An exclusive partnership withMeidi-ya proved highly successful in the marketing of Kirin's beers both in Japan and under the Japan Brewery and Water Bureau andMinistry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.[3]
Kirin Brewery sells two of the most popular beers in Japan:Kirin Lager, one of the country's oldest beer brands, brewed since 1888; andIchiban Shibori. Within thehapposhu (low-malt) category, Kirin Tanrei is the top seller. Kirin handles domestic distribution for several foreign brands, includingBudweiser andHeineken.
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%[4] stake inLion Nathan Limited, a consolidated subsidiary that is based in Australia but has particularly important operations in China. Kirin has a 48%[5] stake inSan Miguel Brewery, the dominant brewer in the Philippines. Kirin now applies itsfermentation technology to areas such asplant genetics,pharmaceuticals, andbioengineering. Although brewing and related businesses remain the core of Kirin's activities, the company is also involved in several other sectors: hardliquor,wine,soft drinks, andfood products.
In December 2006, theKirin Brewery Company of Japan purchased a 25% stake inHangzhou Qiandaohu Beer Co., Ltd. for US$38 million.[6]
On 14 July 2009, Kirin announced that it was in negotiations withSuntory on a merger.[7] On 8 February 2010, it was announced that negotiations between the two had been terminated.[8]
In early 2010 Kirin's Agribio business was sold to DutchH2 Equity Partners; now it's part ofDümmen Orange.[9]
In 2010, 23.4 percent of Kirin's sales were made overseas, the highest overseas revenue among all Japanese breweries.[10]
In October 2011, the court decided that Kirin could buy a majority stake in family-run Brazilian beerSchincariol. Kirin bought a 50.45 percent stake in 2011, valued at $2.6 billion.[11] In November 2011, Kirin Holdings Company agreed to buy out the remaining shareholders in Brazilian beermaker Schincariol Participacoes e Representacoes, completing its biggest acquisition as it sees growth in emerging markets ($1.35 billion was paid for the 49.54 percent stake, giving it control of all outstanding shares).[12] In November 2012, Kirin changed Schincariol's name toBrasil Kirin.[13]
In 2013 Kirin joined leading alcohol producers as part ofa producers' commitments to reducing harmful drinking.[14]
In February 2013,Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi bought the 15% stake of Singapore'sFraser & Neave (F&N), a property-to-drinks conglomerate, from Kirin for US$1.6 billion.[15]
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.[16]
On 20 January 2017,Heineken NV and Kirin Holdings confirmed they were in negotiations for Heineken to acquire Brasil Kirin.[17]
On 5 February 2018, Kirin Holdings announced the acquisition of 95% outstanding shares in Kyowa Hakko Bio Co. Ltd, fromKyowa Hakko Kirin to expand to wellness and bio-chemical products.[18]
On 6 August 2019, Kirin Holdings announced it would take a 33% stake in cosmetics and dietary supplements companyFancl Corp for US$1.21 billion.[19]
On 30 June 2022, Kirin Holdings announced to sell its 51% stake in Myanmar Brewery Limited, its Myanmar joint venture to its military-linked local partner.[20]
Established 1870 byIwasaki Yataro | ||
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