The Schörghuber Corporate Group, a group of companies that is known in the beverage industry mainly for its strong presence in the southern German beer market with brands such as Paulaner, Hacker-Pschorr, Kulmbacher, Mönchshof, Fürstenberg and Höpfner, has decided on a new decentralized group structure as of January 1, 2023 .
In the future, Schörghuber Stiftung & Co. Holding KG will focus on strategic management of the Group, while the four business divisions Construction & Real Estate, Beverages, Hotels and Seafood will manage their business operations with greater autonomy. This means that the services previously provided by the holding company and dedicated service companies, for example in the areas finance, IT, human resources and taxes, will be provided directly by the operative companies themselves.
In anticipation of the realignment, the executive board of Schörghuber Stiftung & Co. Holding KG will be expanded to four persons as of 1 July 2022. Florian Schörghuber, the grandson of the company's founder, will join the executive board as a representative of the third generation and will in future serve as Co-CEO together with CEO Nico Nusmeier, who joined the group in 2019. (inside.beer, 23.4.2019) His mother Alexandra Schörghuber, widow of the former owner of the group of companies, Stefan Schörghuber, who died in 2009 at the age of 47, will remain chairwoman of the foundation board and member of the executive board.
Dr. Hermann Brandstetter, who left the company at the beginning of the year, will be succeeded as CFO by Stefan Fischbach. Fischbach has held this position at the brewery group since 2018 and prior to that held the same position for eight years at the Arabella Hospitality Group. He joined the Group in 2003 and has held a number of different positions in the different business divisions.
Florian Schörghuber said in a media statement today: "We have set ourselves ambitious goals. The world and therefore also the markets in which our companies operate are more dynamic and challenging than ever before. We, as a Group, want to take on a leading role in these times of change. First and foremost, the Schörghuber Corporate Group wants to do more than merely follow someone else’s lead when it comes to sustainability and digitalization; it wants to be a pioneer in the industries in which it operates. The forces driving us are culture, customer orientation, innovation, fast and lean business processes, and ambitious goals that are in harmony with people and nature. I strongly believe that the transformation of our Group, which is being launched with great ambition and speed, is essential for ensuring that all of its operative companies are able to perform with maximum agility in the market."
Nico Nusmeier added: "The core element of our transformation is the shift of expertise to the business divisions and thus closer to operational activities. They will also become more independent in terms of their infrastructure, and the holding company will no longer perform service-related tasks for them. Decentralization will make it possible for the business divisions to exploit market opportunities in an agile and flexible manner and to fully exploit their potential for growth. Our subsidiaries are managed by outstanding management teams who know their market environment best and whom we trust. It is therefore only logical to also give them the freedom to decide for themselves how the objectives that have been defined together can best be achieved quickly."
Another key component of the realignment is the expansion of venture capital investments in areas of business that complement those in which the Schörghuber Corporate Group operates. The Schörghuber family already invests in young, innovative and fast-growing companies in industries in which SUG is also active, or in business areas that are related to those of the Schörghuber Corporate Group, through Blue Lion GmbH, which is managed by Alexandra and Florian Schörghuber and Dr. Ralph Becker. It is intended that, in the future, these investments will be more closely linked to the Group, developed in collaboration with the business divisions and, if appropriate, integrated in them at a later date.
Florian Schörghuber: "Maintaining and enhancing the stability and financial strength of our company has been a key concern for my mother, Alexandra, since she assumed responsibility for the Group in 2008. These factors now give us the scope required for the business divisions to grow organically and inorganically while at the same time making targeted investments in complementary technologies and business models. This means that, working together on the board, we can set the course for the future with the knowledge of two generations. The objective is to preserve our culture as a family-owned and financially independent company, even in times of crisis, technological developments and demographic changes. Up until now, it was primarily my mother who, out of conviction, exemplified our family values and brought them with her into the company. I want to stand by her side in the future. I am humbled and proud to represent the next generation of Schörghubers in the Group’s management team."
