Grupo Modelo

Grupo Modelo S.A.B. de C.V.

Company type	Public (BMV: GMODELO)
Industry	Brewery
Founded	1922
Headquarters	Mexico City, Mexico
Key people	Carlos Fernandez
Products	Beer
Number of employees	40,617 (2005)
Website	Official Site

Grupo Modelo is a large brewery in Mexico founded by Alonso Gomez and Federico Cisneros. It is partly owned by the Mitchell group with the chairwoman Micaela Mitchell. It has 63% of the Mexican beer market, and produces top-selling imported beer in the United Kingdom, United States and Canada (via a joint venture with Constellation Brands). Its export brands include Corona, Modelo, and Pacífico. Grupo Modelo also brews brands intended solely for the domestic Mexican market, including Victoria (a recent advertising campaign for this brand was centered on the fact that it is unavailable abroad); Estrella (a local beer found only in western Mexico); and León and Montejo (originally local to Yucatán but now available nationwide). Grupo Modelo has marketshare of 56% in Mexico. Grupo Modelo has exclusive rights in Mexico for the import and distribution of beer produced by Anheuser-Busch. Until the 1960s, Grupo Modelo used red poppy flowers in its advertising, where almost any image it used had poppy flowers somewhere in the image.

On June 12, 2008, The Wall Street Journal stated that Anheuser-Busch InBev, which owns a non-controlling 50% stake in the company, may attempt to acquire the remaining 50%.

Grupo Modelo

Grupo Modelo, founded in 1925, is the leader in Mexico in beer production, distribution and marketing, with 63.0% of the total (domestic and export) market share, as of December 31, 2008. It has seven brewing plants in Mexico, with a total annual installed capacity of 60 million hectoliters. It is the importer of Anheuser-Busch InBev’s products in Mexico, including Budweiser, Bud Light and O’Doul’s. It also imports the Chinese Tsingtao brand and the Danish beer Carlsberg. Through a strategic alliance with Nestlé Waters, it produces and distributes in Mexico the bottled water brands Sta. María and Nestlé Pureza Vital, among others. Grupo Modelo trades in the Mexican Stock Exchange since 1994 with the ticker symbol GMODELOC. It also quotes as an ADR under the ticker GPMCY in the OTC markets and in Latibex in Spain as XGMD.

Grupo Modelo is currently the sixth largest brewer worldwide. It is building its eighth brewery in the northern part of the Mexican state of Coahuila—with an installed capacity of 10 million hectoliters—which will be operating by 2010. The company’s brand portfolio includes thirteen brands: Corona Extra, Modelo Especial, Victoria, Pacífico, Negra Modelo, Modelo Light, León, Montejo, Estrella, Barrilito, Corona Light, Tropical Light and Pacífico Light. Grupo Modelo exports five of its brands: Corona Extra, Corona Light, Modelo Especial, Negra Modelo and Pacífico. The company currently operates in 159 countries. In the US imported beer market Corona Extra, Modelo Especial, Corona Light, Pacífico and Negra Modelo occupy the first, third, sixth, seventeenth and twenty-first place in sales, respectively. Corona Extra is the fifth most popular beer worldwide and the only Mexican brand among the top ten. Grupo Modelo generates approximately 38 thousand direct jobs.

Barrilito

Barrilito is a lager beer made with high quality ingredients. Because of its transparent and bright gold color, good body, clean aroma and refreshing flavor, it is an excellent pilsener beer.

Corona Extra

Corona Extra is the leading brand in Mexico, the number one imported beer in the US and the most popular Mexican beer worldwide. It is a pilsener beer. The Corona Extra brand is targeted to people who are looking to relax responsibly. It is the only brand that stands for Mexican pride all over the world. It is currently sold in 159 countries in five continents and it is the leading import beer in more than twenty of such countries.

Corona Light

Corona Light was the first light lager beer produced by Grupo Modelo. Only Corona Light takes you away from your everyday stress, making you feel light, without remorse. Corona Light is the sixth most popular imported beer in the US, and the number one imported light beer.

Corona Light was introduced in the United States in 1989 and it contains approximately 30% less calories than Corona Extra

Estrella

Estrella is known as the perfect addition to any party. It is a pilsener beer produced in the Guadalajara Modelo plant and can be found in all of Mexico. Because of its light and friendly taste, it enhances the atmosphere of any social gathering. Estrella communicates the “feel the energy” message.

Estrella was first produced in the late 19th Century by Cervecería Estrella (currently known as Cervecería Modelo de Guadalajara), that Grupo Modelo acquired in 1954.

León

León is a Munich-type dark amber-colored beer, with great aroma and body, that mixes a nice sweetness with light bitterness, and a white foam. León has become a new favorite of young people who are looking for a dark beer with a great taste.

The León brand was first launched into the market in the early 1900s. Although its origin is traced back to the southeast region of Mexico, through the years it has conquered the tastes of consumers in the entire country.

Modelo Especial

Modelo Especial is Grupo Modelo’s second most popular beer—and the most popular canned beer—as well as the third most popular imported brand in the US. It is a very different, pilsener beer, full of attitude and image.

Modelo Especial was the first brand produced by Grupo Modelo, in 1925, the year in which the company was founded.

Modelo Light

Modelo Light is “a beer like you never imagined”. It’s an innovative light lager alternative for people who seek the new and avoid the conventional. Modelo Light is recognized everywhere by its stylish signature can or its new blue bottle.

Modelo Light was first produced in 1994.

Montejo

Montejo, the brand that originated in the city of Merida, in the Yucatán peninsula, is a pilsener characterized by its smooth flavor and excellent aroma. It is a regional brand, whose tradition began in southeastern Mexico when it was launched in 1960 as an anniversary brand for Cervecería Yucateca.

It was purchased by Grupo Modelo in 1979, and in 1999 it updated the brand’s look and feel to give it a fresh and current image.

Negra Modelo

Negra Modelo, known as the “the cream of beers”, is a Munich-style beer offering a balanced flavor and delicate aroma of dark malt, caramel and hops. It is the top selling dark beer in Mexico. It has a bright, dark amber color, topped by a thick, creamy foam. Negra Modelo is the ideal beer to accompany any special meal or special occasion.

It was first introduced in Mexico as a draft beer in 1926, thus beginning its great tradition in Mexico.

Pacífico

Pacífico is a beer with a long tradition in Mexico and Grupo Modelo’s leading brand in northeastern Mexico. It is a pilsener, clear beer with a refreshing, smooth taste. Pacífico was first brewed in Mazatlán, Mexico and Grupo Modelo began exporting it to the western and southern US in 1985, with great results. Pacífico is currently the fifteenth most popular imported brand in the US. Pacífico is the best choice for people who like to share with their friends, enjoying what has come to be known as the “Pacífico lifestyle”.

Pacífico was born in the early 20th Century and it is brewed mainly in the Cervecería del Pacífico plant, in the city of Mazatlán, in the state of Sinaloa.

Tropical Light

Tropical Light was born out of the need to satisfy consumers looking for a good light beer with low alcohol content. It is a pilsener golden-colored beer with 3 percent alcohol volume and an adequate balance between body and bitterness, which makes it easy to digest.

Tropical Light was born in 2005.

Victoria

Victoria—the brand that most reflects the Mexican tradition of Grupo Modelo—is a Vienna-style beer whose roots are closely linked to the history of Mexico. Victoria has the delicate aroma of the highest quality malt and hops, that is well-balanced with its unique amber-color and its bright and refreshing creamy foam that tops its transparent and bright appearance

Victoria was produced for the first time in 1865 by the Compañía Cervecera Toluca y México, acquired by Grupo Modelo in 1935. Y en inglés:

Pacífico Light

Pacífico Light is a new option for people who enjoy and prefer the tradition of our Pacífico beer and are looking for a lighter flavor.

Pacífico Light was launched in 2008 and is currently available in Northeastern and Northwestern Mexico. With this brand Modelo offers a very high quality product, with less than 100 calories, less alcohol content and great flavor. Pacífico Light is Grupo Modelo’s response to the consumer who wants to continue to be authentic, to feel lighter and to enjoy a refreshing beer.

See also

• Corona (beer)
• Beer in Mexico
• María Asunción Aramburuzabala

External links

• Corona bottle makers fired for forming an independent union
• Official Grupo Modelo website in English
• Official Grupo Modelo web site in Spanish