Grupo Agora, an independent, family-owned brewing group based in Zaragoza, Spain announced today to extend its business relationship with Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP). Bebinter, a fully owned subsidiary of Grupo Agora, expands its more than 20 years lasting logistics relationship with CCEP Iberia in the Aragón region of Spain, now adding the selling and commercialization of its products through its salesforce.
“We are grateful to Coca-Cola for the trust placed in us and delighted for our team that have built such a strong partnership with Coca-Cola since 1999”, says Jonathan Stordy, CEO from Grupo Agora.
“At Grupo Agora we are especially focused on increasing our leadership of our core Aragón region in the heart of Spain with our main brand Ambar,” he added. “Our regional strength in Aragón and throughout the North East of Spain is the platform for developing Ambar nationally and for consolidating our role in the social fabric of Barcelona with our Moritz brand, launched in 1856. Recently Sierra Nevada and Pilsner Urquell have entrusted the national distribution of their brands to us. Two fabulous beers.
“Ambar is enjoying its 120th anniversary this year and there is no better way to celebrate this milestone than announcing a strengthened relationship with Coca-Cola European Partners, for not only the delivery of their brands but also now for the sale of Coca Cola brands in our core Aragón region,” Mr. Stordy said.
Since 1999 Bebinter has carried out the logistics activities for Coca-Cola through its regional depots established throughout the Aragonese territory. Now the more than 8,000 on-premise customers in Aragon will be visited by Bebinter’s commercial team and they will also be in charge of the sale and development of the products marketed by Coca-Cola European Partners in Spain.
In fiscal year 2019, prior to the COVID pandemic, Bebinter distributed logistically for Coca-Cola European Partners in Aragon a volume of Brands worth more than 30 million euros in terms of sales value to bars and restaurants.
About Grupo Agora
Grupo Agora is a totally independent and 100% family-owned group of companies dedicated to the manufacture and distribution of beer. Today, the fifth and sixth generations continue to develop the 160-year old business with a portfolio of brands like Ambar, Moritz, Konga soft drinks, Lunares water, and La Pantera coffee. Over the years Agora has also become a group of diversified companies consisting of the brewery La Zaragozana in Zaragoza, its wholly owned Bebinter distribution network with 20 branches throughout Spain, Lunares mineral water at its Jaraba spring also in Aragón and two flagship Moritz bars in Barcelona. The group has yearly sales of about EUR 200 million and employs 1,000 professionals. In summer 2019 a new EUR 70 million brewery was commissioned in Zaragoza’s La Cartuja district, replacing the old brewery in San José. The objective was to double the national market share from 2% to 4% by intensifying the presence in priority regions and provinces. The brewing group like the whole industry suffered severely from measures to contain the corona-virus and had to make temporary layoffs (ERTE) of employees in three companies of the group in November.
