Koöperatieve Wijnbouwers Vereniging van Zuid-Afrika Bpkt

KWV Holdings ( formerly Koöperatieve Wijnbouwers Vereniging van Zuid-Afrika BPKT, Winegrowers of South Africa ) is a group of companies for the production and marketing of branded wine and spirits brands, especially brandy ( brandy ). It is headquartered in Paarl in the Western Cape Province.

History

KWV was founded in 1918 on the initiative of Charles Kohler, designed to combine the marketing efforts to regulate the production and thus to help the wine growers to ensure their income. Surprising almost all winemakers joined the Cape, whereby the largest wine cooperative in the world was born. Minimum prices and harvest volumes were enshrined in law. To regulate the overproduction, the surpluses were used for brandy production.

In 1997, the cooperative was transformed into a group of companies and the winemakers were shareholders. The KWV regulated and controlled but still large parts of the South African wine market. To date, it is the largest spirits producer in the country. The distillery and winery of KWV in Worcester is one of the largest in the world and their visit to a tourist attraction. The KWV Wine Region extends around Stellenbosch.

Between 2007 and 2009 the group structure has been simplified, rebuilt the sales and sold all unprofitable subsidiaries. The German distributor Eggers & Franke merges with roller, whereby the largest German liqueur sales results. 2009, the participation in Distell Group was sold.

The KWV Group achieved in fiscal year 2010 ( ended June 30, 2010 ) sales of nearly 729 million Rand.

Structure of the KWV group

The group is led by the KWV Holdings Limited. This has three 100 % subsidiaries: KWV International ( Pty) Ltd, KWV South Africa (Pty ) Ltd and KWV Intellectual Property ( Pty) Ltd.. KWV South Africa holds 50 % of the Rebzüchtungsgesellschaft Vititec (Pty ) Ltd and 28% of bottling Paarl Valley Bottling Company ( Pty) Ltd..

Share holder

(As at 30 June 2010)

• 25.1%: according to Black Economic Empowerment Program (BEE ), a program of the South African government to promote and increased involvement of the black population share in companies, of which 6.8%: KWV Employee Empowerment Trust (Busy Trust )
• 18.3%: Whitmore 1 Investments ( Pty ) Ltd ( formerly Phetogo consortium )

In October 2010, negotiations to acquire KWV by the South African food and beverage group Pioneer Foods were known.