Heineken centralizes Alken-Maes services in the Netherlands, impact on jobs unclear

Some of the activities of Belgian brewer Alken-Maes, known for beers such as Cristal, Maes, and Hapkin, are being transferred to parent company Heineken in the Netherlands. It is not yet clear how many jobs this will cost.

Working more efficiently

Alken-Maes will be working more closely with parent company Heineken. This will mainly involve administrative and logistical jobs being transferred to the Netherlands. However, the brewer will retain a strong presence in Belgium. The company informed its staff of this on Tuesday. The specific impact of the plans remains unclear. The breweries are not expected to be affected.

“Our intention is to pool certain resources and capacities across markets so that we can work and compete even more efficiently, respond more quickly to changes, and continue to build the skills we need for the future,” the company said. “We estimate that the impact on the organization will be limited. Our local roots remain crucially important. Everything will be worked out in more detail in the coming period.”

Heineken has been struggling with disappointing results for some time and therefore announced a major reorganization last year, which would include the loss of 400 jobs at its headquarters in Amsterdam. In a new five-year strategic plan, the brewer is focusing on its five core brands: Heineken, Tiger, Amstel, Desperados, and Birra Moretti—Belgian beers are not included. At the beginning of this year, CEO and Chairman Dolf van den Brink announced his departure from Heineken.