As every June, Damm's shareholders' meeting has given the green light to the accounts of the previous fiscal year and has set out in black and white the strategic objectives that the company has set for itself for the coming years. The most notable is the launch of a new strategic plan until 2025 aimed at placing the company's sales above 2,000 million euros, which, in addition to operating in the beer business, has subsidiaries dedicated to the production of soft drinks, mineral water (Veri and Fuente Liviana), chocolate milkshakes (Cacaolat), coffee (Garriga), logistics (Alfil, DDI, Pallex) and the operation of restaurant chains such as Rodilla, Hamburguesa Nostra and Jamaica.
Damm managed to exceed 1,000 million in turnover for the first time in 2016. Four years later, the company chaired by Demetrio Carceller is now heading towards 2,000 million, after closing 2020 with revenues of 1,225 million. This figure is 11.5% lower than that of 2019 as a consequence of the pandemic, which has strongly affected the company, since beer sales are closely linked to tourism and the hospitality sector. Despite the cut in income and the exceptional effort derived from the impact of the coronavirus, Damm has managed to avoid losses and has obtained a net profit of 40.5 million, 66% less than the 120 million profits harvested in 2019.
Exceeding the 2,000 million threshold in 2025 would mean a growth of 60% compared to 2020 sales and 44% compared to the last year before covid. To achieve this, Damm will rely on two major levers: expansion in the international market and the acquisition of new brands that allow it to expand its product portfolio. The Barcelona group has been looking for a major acquisition for years, but until now it has missed or let slip the various opportunities it has analyzed.
Damm started its process of going out to the foreign market relatively late, but today it has already entered some 130 countries with the hook that it is the only beer brewed in Barcelona. The international division already generates 25% of the group's activity and now with the new strategic plan it has set the goal of doubling this figure, with a special focus on growth in Asia, Latin America and Africa.
According to Carceller, the new strategic plan will promote "an acceleration of sustainable growth based on a clear commitment to expanding the number of markets in which Damm operates, strengthening and positioning the company's brands and products, and increasing efficiency."
The Canary Islands energy group Disa and the Carceller family are the main shareholders of Damm, where the German family food group Dr. Oetker also controls a 25% stake. The company has just increased its stake in Cacaolat from 50% to 100% and has also completed an investment of 63 million euros to expand the production capacity of the El Prat de Llobregat factory by 45%, up to 7.2 million hectoliters per year. In total, Damm owns 16 factories and employs some 4,700 people.