Description
The brewery was founded in 1643 by the Main Franconian Prince-Bishop Johann Philipp von Schönborn and is deeply rooted in the Lower Franconia region. The authorization for the further use of the prefix Hof in the company name is still derived from the princely connection. At that time there were many Swedish soldiers in Würzburg, who in large numbers fought over the city's wine stores and emptied them. To keep the soldiers happy, you needed a drink with alcohol. Therefore, the prince-bishop founded the brewery. Since the brewery was a good source of income, it was also supported by the subsequent bishops. In memory of the founder of the brewery, the prince-bishop's crown still adorns the brewer's star in the company logo. The Würzburger Hofbräu's slogan, "Enjoying under a good star", is also related here. In the course of the 19th century, the Würzburger Hofbräu grew into an internationally active company. In 1887 it was one of the first German breweries to export to the USA. Today (2011) the USA, Italy and China are among the buyers of brewery products. The Würzburger Hofbräu is primarily a regional brewery in Lower Franconia. In May 1990 Reinhard Meier succeeded Paul J. Greineder as CEO. In 1991 and 1994 capital increases of EUR 2.5 million each were carried out. As a result of the first capital increase, the dividend payment could be resumed, which had not been paid since the crisis in 1979. In 1993 the brewery was technically modernized and strategically expanded in the following years through acquisitions. In 1999 the princely brewery Wächtersbach and Werner Bräu GmbH were taken over. In 2001 the Lohrer Brewery was added, which is now called Keiler Bier GmbH. In January 2005 the von Finck family sold their 90.7% share package for EUR 375 per share to Kulmbacher Brauerei AG. This then bought on the free market and was able to carry out a squeeze-out in May 2006. The small shareholders were compensated with EUR 496.95 per share. [Note 1] In November 2006, the stock exchange listing was discontinued. By resolution of the Annual General Meeting on April 16, 2008, Würzburger Hofbräu Aktiengesellschaft was transformed into Würzburger Hofbräu GmbH. On November 1, 2006, Hans Haug joined the company as a member of the board. Reinhard Meier left the company on April 30, 2007. From September 9, 2008 to December 2, 2009, Hans P. van Zon was the second managing director. Michael Haupt has been managing director of the brewery since August 1st, 2009. Hans Haug left the company on October 15, 2010. Michael Krasser took over as Managing Director on November 18, 2010. He left on June 30, 2013 and took over the position of sales director at the parent company in Kulmbach. He was followed by Norbert Lange on July 1, 2013. Since December 9, 2013, Dr. Jörg Lehmann member of the management. In parallel with the frequent changes at the top of the company, economic deterioration set in. In 2006 a profit of EUR 183,000 was achieved. In 2007 and 2008 a balanced result was achieved. In the following two years losses ran into the millions. In June 2011 the last investment was made in a new, modern lauter tun in order to maintain the high quality standards. In 2011, the loss was limited to EUR 360,000 by significantly reducing the workforce. After years of restructuring, Würzburger Hofbräu GmbH has been generating positive annual results again since 2012.
