Austria: Red-Bull owner Matschitz builds greenfield brewery

Dietrich Mateschitz, Austrian billionaire businessman, co-founder and co-owner of Austrian energy drink company Red Bull, plans to build a brewery in Pöls in Styra, Austria through his holding company Dietrich Mateschitz Beteiligungs GmbH. The brewery, which is scheduled to start operations in 2018 is currently being built as a greenfield project only 150 m apart from Sauerbrunn Castle. In 2008 Mateschitz bought the dilapidated castle, which was used until 2001 as filling plant for the associated mineral springs named Thalheimer Schlossbrunnen. The mineral water, which already won a prize at the World Fair in Brussels in 1908 and was once named one of the best waters in the dual monarchy of Austro-Hungary will also be used by the new brewery.

As managing director of the brewery, Matschitz, who was never married, named his only son Mark Gerhardter (25), who will lead the company together with Dr. Roland Concin, Head of Global Operations, Red Bull.

The brewery will supply about half a dozen pubs, restaurants and hotels nearby, which belong to Matschitz’ sphere of influence. Not far away in Spielberg, in a distance of 17 km, there is also Austria’s only formula 1 racing track, which was sold 15 years ago to Matschitz and which now officially bears the name Red Bull Ring.

Mateschitz founded the international Red Bull company in 1987 in Austria together with Chaleo Yoovidhya, son of a poor Chinese immigrant to Thailand, who invented Kratingdaeng (Thai for Red Bull) in 1975, and made it one of the bestselling soft drinks in the world. When Chaleo died in 2012, Red Bull was selling 4.4 billion cans each year in 162 countries.  Today, the Yoovidhya family owns 49% in a complex licensing agreement with T.C. Pharma and a complicated network of offshore accounts. Mateschitz owns the other 49% and Chalerm Yoovidhya, son of Chaleo and the oldest of 11 siblings, holds the final 2%. Chalerms son and heir to the Yoovidhya family is wanted by Interpol for his alleged involvement in a fatal hit-and-run case going back to 2012 (inside.beer, 3.9.2017).

Share this article: