Is the sale of Haacht Brewery becoming more likely?

The process of selling the group that owns Haacht Brewery is reportedly underway. The company, which is working on a recovery plan with a refined strategy, says it is exploring various options.

On the road to recovery

Several sources have told business newspaper De Tijd that potential buyers were recently sent the sales dossier for the Haacht beer group, along with an invitation to bid on the holding company Finabra, the majority shareholder of the publicly traded Co.Br.Ha., which owns the brewery and real estate operations. Competitors such as Duvel Moortgat or Heineken could show interest, but so could private equity funds and real estate investors regarding the hospitality properties, the newspaper writes.

The company, which has been in financial trouble for several years, refuses to comment on rumors and says only that it is exploring various options, including a sale, a merger, or an independent course. That is essentially the same message the Van der Kelen family’s brewery group sent out a year ago at its shareholders’ meeting. Since then, the company has brought in Nils van Dam as an external CEO. He is implementing a strategic transformation plan aimed at restoring the company to financial health by 2030.