The good performance of the Horeca and tourism sectors are showing a clear horizon for Damm’s activity. The leading company in the food and beverage sector, with a presence in the logistics, distribution and catering sectors, held its General Shareholders’ Meeting today at the Antigua Fábrica Estrella Damm, at which the results for the 2022 financial year were approved. Damm achieved a turnover of 1,876 million euros, representing an increase of 26% compared to the previous year, and obtained a net profit of 101.5 million euros. The continued growth of sales in all channels and the strong momentum of the company’s international business have enabled Damm to reach a new record turnover and continue to generate employment. The company closed 2022 with a team of 5,577 people, 9.35% more than the previous year.
Damm’s executive chairman, Demetrio Carceller Arce, expressed his satisfaction with the results obtained in 2022, a year in which the sector consolidated its recovery in both retail and Horeca after two years affected by the pandemic, but which was also marked by strong tensions in the supply chain. “Over the past year we have had to work hard to manage the general inflationary trend and its consequences on consumption and monetary policy. Fortunately, 2022 also brought some good news, such as positive data from the tourism and catering sectors, which allowed us to face the current complex context,” said Carceller Arce.
Damm’s executive chairman was optimistic about the future and stressed that, despite the difficulties that the global economy continues to face, 2023 has started very positively for the company. “The robustness and capacity for growth that the hospitality sector is showing during the first months of the year and the good prospects for the tourism sector for the summer season, make us confident that 2023 will be a year of growth for Damm”, remarked Carceller Arce.
During his appearance before the shareholders, Damm’s executive chairman also reviewed the evolution of the business in 2022, a year in which the company has consolidated its position as the brewing group with the highest growth in production market share, rising by almost one percentage point compared to the previous year. In terms of sales by channel, Damm’s Horeca channel was very close to the values recorded before the pandemic. Likewise, consumption in households remained stable and sales in the food channel remained at a higher level than those recorded before 2020.
During the event, the new composition of the Board of Directors was approved, which has been reduced from 8 to 7 members. Rudolf Louis Schweizer joins as representative of the German company August Oetker KG, replacing Dr. h. c. August Oetker and Dr. Ernst F. Schröeder.
Damm remains committed to maintaining stable shareholder returns. During the Annual General Meeting, the dividend payment was also approved at the same levels as in the previous year.
Progress in its internationalisation strategy and supply chain optimisation
Over the last decade, Damm has implemented an ambitious internationalisation strategy that has made it possible for Damm’s business in the foreign market to now account for more than 30% of its activity, with its brands present in more than 130 countries. With the aim of continuing to grow abroad and making the company’s international operations more profitable and efficient, in November 2022 Damm closed the acquisition of the British brewery Eagle Brewery in Bedford, England. This plant – Damm’s second brewery abroad – strengthens Damm’s presence in the UK, one of the company’s main international markets where the Damm beer portfolio continues to gain market share year after year.
The incorporation of this new plant abroad also responds to Damm’s aim to maximise the efficiency of the supply chain. As a result of Damm’s commitment to the environment and the reduction of its environmental footprint, the company has implemented various lines of work with the aim of optimising all stages of the supply chain, taking into account the acquisition of raw materials, product manufacture and distribution. In this sense, Damm encourages the use of local raw materials and promotes the purchase of raw materials from local suppliers close to its factories. In terms of manufacturing, the company has implemented various initiatives with the aim of improving the efficiency of its processes. An example of this is the investments made with the aim of achieving energy self-sufficiency in its plants – Damm currently generates 60% of the electricity it uses in its activities and is the brewery with the largest extension of photovoltaic panels on the Iberian Peninsula.
In a phase of national and international growth, one of the main challenges facing the company is the attraction and internal development of the best talent. Damm has launched numerous initiatives with this objective in mind. As a result, in 2022, it increased its workforce by nearly 500 people, 55% of whom are under 30 years of age.
