Asahi Launches Latest Growth Plan

14/02/07 Asahi Breweries, Ltd. has announced that the Company has finalized its “Third Medium-Term Management Plan” covering the three years from 2007 through 2009 with the goal of establishing a “new growth path” for the Asahi Breweries Group.

The Asahi Breweries Group, under the “First Medium-Term Management Plan” introduced in 2001, initiated corporate governance reforms and improvement of its financial standing. Under the plan, the Company embarked on reconstruction of the group’s business structure with the objective of achieving growth for the entire group, with focus on the business domain of “food and health.”

Under the “Second Medium-Term Management Plan,” launched subsequently in 2004, the Company worked on reforming its business and profit structures with a realistic approach towards the maturing domestic alcoholic drinks market. Under the plan, the Company expanded the basis for overall growth through active business investments such as acquisition of new operating bases in the soft drinks business as well as the food and pharmaceutical business in Japan along with M&As in soft drinks businesses in the growing Asian market.

The newly drafted “Third Medium-Term Management Plan” features a “Group Long-Term Vision” that further clarifies the focal areas and the concepts for improving the corporate value. The vision also spells out the Company’s “objective to become the leading company with high growth potential by continuously offering lifelong enjoyment and excitement to customers, especially in Asia, in the business domain of ‘food and health’.”

In order to achieve the goals of this long-term vision, the entire group is committed in its efforts to establish a new growth path and improve the corporate brand by strengthening the Asahi brand while pursuing self-sustaining collaborations and synergy effects with the diversified brands within the group, based on enhanced manufacturing competitiveness.