Carlsberg Polska

Carlsberg Group in Poland

The history of Carlsberg Polska brewing company began in 1996 when Carlsberg Breweries A/S became the strategic shareholder in the Okocim brewery. In 2001, following the merger of breweries in Okocim, Szczecin (Bosman), Sierpc (Kasztelan) and Wroclaw (Piast), a strong group named Carlsberg Okocim S.A. was formed. On 13 October 2004, the company changed its name to Carlsberg Polska.

In 2002 the Carlsberg brand was highly successful in the Polish market – it turned out to be the fastest-growing international brand, as its sales grew by 671 percent compared to the year 2001. In 2003 the company launched the Harnaś brand on the market and received the ISO 9001 and HACCP certificates. In 2004, for the first time in its history, the modernised Okocim brewery exceeded the amount of 2 million hectolitres of beer produced in one year. 2004 was also the year the Piast brewery ceased its beer production. At the same time, the Piast brand itself remained in the portfolio and its production was taken over by the Okocim brewery, under the watchful eye of the brewers, and following the same recipe.

2005 marked the launch of three brands: Okocim Palone, Karmi Poema di Caffe, and Okocim Zagłoba. The year also brought record sales of beer produced by Carlsberg Polska, which totaled 4.3 million hectolitres. In February 2005 the Carlsberg brand was granted a Superbrands award, in October Karmi Poema di Caffe was awarded the European Medal, and in December Piast received the statuette of the Sponsor of Culture for financial support during the renovation of the facade of the Wroclaw Town Hall. The renovated facade was unveiled in the summer of 2006.

In 2009 Carlsberg Polska launched three variants Okocim: Okocim Premium Pils, Okocim Mocne and Okocim Pszeniczne. This resulted in the Discovery of the Year award granted in the Consumer and Customer Competition. Moreover, the brewery in Brzesko underwent a number of modernisation works that were carried out in the brew-house, by the uni tanks, and within production lines. The same year brought the development of regional brands – Kasztelan Niepasteryzowany was joined by Piast and Bosman in the non-pasteurized variants.

In May 2010 Carlsberg Breweries officially confirmed the sponsorship of the UEFA EURO 2012™championships, which were hosted by Poland and Ukraine. From that moment and for the two following years the company had been preparing for this event. In June 2012, during the EURO 2012, Carlsberg beer was sold in the stadiums, fan zones, Fan Camps, as well as in shops in both host countries. The Carlsberg brand often appeared both on and off the pitch. In Warsaw, more than 1,250,000 fans visited the Fan Zone at the Parade Square, where Carlsberg's Flagship Bar was the focal point.

In 2013, Carlsberg Polska was awarded the Company of the Year award. This distinction was awarded for outstanding financial results, preparation for Euro 2012, CSR initiatives, the launch of Somersby and initiated growth of local brands.

Today, Carlsberg Polska continues to be a strong market player in Poland.