One of the last independent breweries in the Netherlands, Limburg-based Gulpener, has been taken over by Grolsch, the companies announced in a statement.
“The beer market has changed a lot in recent years. As an independent brewer, it is becoming more and more challenging to continue growing on your own,” Gulpener said.
The company has existed as a family run business for more than 200 years.
“If you don’t change anything, you eventually hit a wall, and we want to avoid that.” director Jan-Paul Rutten told the NOS.
Grolsch, which is owned by Japanese brewery Asahi, already had a 15% ownership in Gulpener. The full sale price has not been disclosed.
Around 75 people are employed at the brewery and there are no plans for layoffs at the moment, Rutten said.
