Molson-Coors Canada Inc. is the Canadian division of the world's fifth-largest
brewing companyA brewery is a dedicated building for the making of beer, though beer can be made at home, and has been for much of beer's history. A company which makes beer is called either a brewery or a brewing company....
, the
Molson Coors Brewing CompanyMolson Coors Brewing Company is a company that was created by the merger of two of North America's largest breweries: Molson of Canada, and Coors of the United States, on February 9, 2005...
. It is the second oldest company in Canada after the
Hudson's Bay CompanyThe Hudson's Bay Company , abbreviated HBC, or "The Bay" is the oldest commercial corporation in North America and one of the oldest in the world. A fur trading business for much of its existence, today Hudson's Bay Company owns and operates retail stores throughout Canada...
. Molson's first brewery was located on the St. Lawrence River in
MontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
where the
Molson familyThe Molson family of Montreal, Quebec, Canada was founded by John Molson who emigrated to Canada in 1782 from his home in Lincolnshire, England....
continues to maintain its headquarters today.
History
Founded in Montreal in 1786, Molson Coors Canada is the oldest brewery in North America and continues to produce beer on the site of the original brewery. The company brews and markets a number of the most popular brands of beer in Canada. Domestic labels include
Molson CanadianMolson Canadian is a brand of 5% abv North American lager brewed by Molson, the Canadian division of Molson Coors Brewing Company. The beer was introduced in 1959.-Awards:Molson Canadian has won several beer industry awards, including:...
, Molson M,
Molson ExportMolson Export beer is an Ale with an ABV of 5%, i.e. a warm-fermented beer, brewed by Molson Canada – a brewery founded in Montreal in 1786, making it North America’s oldest. First brewed in 1903, Molson Export is itself the oldest of all the Molson beer brands.- History :On May 2, 1782, at the age...
, Molson Dry, Old Style Pilsner, Rickard’s,
Creemore SpringsCreemore Springs is a microbrewery located in Creemore, Ontario, which first opened in 1987.The brewery is known for not using preservatives during the brew process, or pasteurizing afterwards. Because of this, they recommend perpetual refrigeration....
and
Granville Island BrewingThe Granville Island Brewing Company is a microbrewery originally based on Granville Island in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in 1984 as Canada’s first microbrewery.-History:...
. Through partnerships with other major brewers, Molson Coors Canada also offers a diverse portfolio of beer brands, including Coors Light, Corona, Miller Genuine Draft, Heineken, Foster's Lager and Tiger. Molson employs 3,000 people in Canada and operates five breweries in locations across the country (Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal, Moncton and St. John's), as well as the Creemore micro-brewery in Ontario and Granville Island Brewing in British Columbia. Molson Coors Canada is part of the Molson Coors Brewing Company.
Founded by John Molson in Montreal in 1786, and now seven generations later, the Molson family name in brewing is the second oldest company in Canada, after the Hudson's Bay Company. The Montreal facility is the oldest brewery in North America, with operations ongoing on the site of the original brewery since the time of founding. Although the plant has undergone numerous transformations in the past 224 years, the cellars once used to store beer are still intact beneath the current building.
Not long after his arrival in Montreal in 1782, Molson sensed the market potential for beer in the then British colony. Prices for wine, rum and port were rising and an influx of English and Irish immigrants were particularly partial to beer. When he became of legal age, Molson used the money inherited from his parents to acquire a small brewery housed in a wooden building on the shores of the St Lawrence, just outside the fortifications of the burgeoning City of Montreal.
Molson worked hard to perfect the brewing process. He returned to England to purchase the finest quality barley seeds. Upon his return, he offered the seeds free of charge to neighbouring Montreal farmers who agreed to grow them to satisfy the brewery's need for malt. Molson delivered his first brew in 1786, only six weeks after taking the helm. Priced at just five cents a bottle, his brew sold very well.
Molson took advantage of the many business opportunities of the time. He quickly diversified his investments, opened a lumber yard and began issuing loans to local Montreal merchants. In 1816, the family enterprise began to take shape when founder John Molson entered into an association with his three sons, John Jr., Thomas, and William.
Although brewing proved to be Molson's most sustainable field of endeavour, other activities were added down through the company's lengthy history. Molson was the first company to own and operate a fleet of steamboats which were used to transport people and goods between Quebec and Ontario. John Molson and his sons also founded the Molson Bank which later merged with Bank of Montreal.
Molson Brewery considerably expanded the breadth of corporate activities throughout the 20th century. In 1945, the family decided to transform the company into a public, limited liability enterprise. It then became possible to acquire an ownership in the company without being a member of the Molson family. This made it possible for the company to expand and inaugurate a new brewery in Toronto in 1955. Two years later, in 1957, the family acquired the Montreal Forum and the famed Canadiens Hockey Club, initiating the start of a long and glorious association with Montreal's ever popular hockey team. The company continued to develop and, in 1958, acquired Six breweries which included five establishments in Western Canada, lending Molson nationwide presence. In 1989, the company consolidated market share in Quebec through a merger with Carling O'Keefe. As a result, Molson became the largest brewery in Canada and the fifth largest in the world.
In 2005, Molson merged with US-based Coors to form Molson Coors Brewing Company. This was followed in 2007 by the opening of a new brewery in Moncton, New Brunswick. Sixth generation Eric Molson retired in 2009 however his sons Andrew and Geoff continue to be active in company affairs within as members of the corporate Board of Directors.
Organization
Molson Coors executive offices are located in Montreal,
QuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
and Denver,
ColoradoColorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
. The Canadian operational headquarters are located in
TorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
(in addition to several breweries across Canada).
United KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
headquarters are in
Burton upon TrentBurton upon Trent, also known as Burton-on-Trent or simply Burton, is a town straddling the River Trent in the east of Staffordshire, England. Its associated adjective is "Burtonian"....
.
Molson Coors Canada is part-owner of The Beer Store in Ontario
Brewers Retail Inc.The Beer Store is the trading name for Brewers Retail, a privately owned, joint-venture chain of retail outlets in Ontario, Canada, founded in 1927. The articles of incorporation stipulate that Brewers Retail cannot sell "hard liquor" , or consumer goods...
,operating as a beer distribution and retail chain, which—protected by legislation—has an over 85% market share of total Ontario industry beer sales. Molson Coors Canada owns 50% of Brewers Distribution Limited in Western Canada.
Molson Coors bought
Creemore SpringsCreemore Springs is a microbrewery located in Creemore, Ontario, which first opened in 1987.The brewery is known for not using preservatives during the brew process, or pasteurizing afterwards. Because of this, they recommend perpetual refrigeration....
Brewery on 22 April 2005.
Operations of Molson Coors in Brazil was sold to the Mexican group
FEMSAFEMSA is the largest beverage company in Mexico and in Latin America and as of September 2011 also the largest independent Coca-Cola bottler in the world. FEMSA originated as the Cuauhtémoc Brewery in 1890, which, through debt management, was restructured as FEMSA in 1988...
in 2006.
On October 9, 2007, SABMiller and Molson Coors agreed to combine their U.S. operations in a joint venture called Miller Coors. SABMiller is to own 58% of the unit, which is to operate in the U.S. and Puerto Rico but not Canada, where Molson Coors is strongest. Molson Coors is to own 42%, but the parties are to have equal voting power.[2]
Economy
Molson-specific brands in Canada and the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
include
Molson CanadianMolson Canadian is a brand of 5% abv North American lager brewed by Molson, the Canadian division of Molson Coors Brewing Company. The beer was introduced in 1959.-Awards:Molson Canadian has won several beer industry awards, including:...
(lager), Molson Canadian Light, Molson Canadian 67, Molson M, Molson Ice, Molson Golden,
Molson ExportMolson Export beer is an Ale with an ABV of 5%, i.e. a warm-fermented beer, brewed by Molson Canada – a brewery founded in Montreal in 1786, making it North America’s oldest. First brewed in 1903, Molson Export is itself the oldest of all the Molson beer brands.- History :On May 2, 1782, at the age...
(ale), Molson Dry, Molson XXX, Stock Ale, Pilsner, Carling, Keystone Lager and Keystone Light, Bohemian and Calgary Export. In
BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, Molson owns partial stakes in the Brazilian brands
A Marca Bavaria and
Kaiser, after acquisitions and disposals in 2000, 2002 and 2006. Molson Coors Canada has the marketing and selling rights for Corona brands, marketing and selling rights for Heineken in Canada and markets and sells Miller brands in Canada. Beginning in 2007, Molson Coors announced a joint venture with Miller's parent to create
MillerCoorsMillerCoors is a joint venture between SABMiller and Molson Coors Brewing Company, announced on October 9, 2007. The joint venture has the responsibility of selling brands such as Miller Lite, Miller High Life, Miller Genuine Draft, Coors, Coors Light, Molson Canadian, and Blue Moon in the United...
, which handles production and distribution for both companies' American brands in the US market.
On June 20, 2009, the brothers Geoff Molson, Andrew Molson, and Eric Molson announced the purchase of 80.1% of the
Montreal CanadiensThe Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
from Colorado businessman George Gillett. The Canadiens have historically been the
NHLThe National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
's most successful hockey team. Along with the current majority ownership that the Molson brothers have of the team, the Molson company has owned all or portions of the Montreal Canadiens however the consortium led by the Molson brothers in June 2009 acquired the remaining 19.9% of the team that had been held by the company. Among many sports sponsorships, Molson and/or Coors also have deals with the
Montreal CanadiensThe Montreal Canadiens are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is officially known as ...
,
Ottawa SenatorsThe Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
,
Toronto Maple LeafsThe Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
,
Edmonton OilersThe Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
,
Calgary FlamesThe Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
,
Vancouver CanucksThe Vancouver Canucks are a professional ice hockey team based in Vancouver, :British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Canucks play their home games at Rogers Arena, formerly known as General Motors Place,...
,
Colorado AvalancheThe Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
,
Phoenix CoyotesThe Phoenix Coyotes are a professional ice hockey team based in Glendale, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their home games at Jobing.com Arena....
and
Detroit Red WingsThe Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League , and are one of the Original Six teams of the NHL, along with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, New York...
, and their beverages can be purchased at other sports venues, such as the home of the
Philadelphia FlyersThe Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
, the
Wachovia CenterThe Wells Fargo Center is an indoor arena located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
Marketing
In the 1980s and 1990s, the company sponsored auto racing and motorsports events. When the
CARTChamp Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
Indycar Series and the NHRA Drag Racing Series would sanction events in Canada, Molson would sponsor many of those events.
In 2000 Molson attracted a great deal of media attention with its "
I am CanadianI am Canadian was the slogan of Molson Canadian Beer from 1994 until 1998 , and between 2000 and 2005 . It was also the subject of an extremely popular ad campaign centered on Canadian nationalism, the most famous examples of which are "The Rant" and "The Anthem"...
"
advertisingAdvertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
campaign. The original sixty second commercial of Joe Canada tried to define what it means to be Canadian based on many light-hearted and stereotypical images of Canada. This campaign generated much publicity and national pride. The ad campaign received a Bronze Lion award at the international advertising awards in
CannesCannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
,
FranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Since then, Molson has transitioned from their old advertising agency Bensimon Byrne in favour of another Toronto based shop, Crispin Porter & Bogusky, Molson Canadian advertising in the United States is handled by Taxi New York, an advertising firm with Canadian roots.
After the Molson Inc. merger with the American Coors company, on 14 March 2005, the
Molson Coors Brewing CompanyMolson Coors Brewing Company is a company that was created by the merger of two of North America's largest breweries: Molson of Canada, and Coors of the United States, on February 9, 2005...
announced that it was retiring its "
I Am CanadianI am Canadian was the slogan of Molson Canadian Beer from 1994 until 1998 , and between 2000 and 2005 . It was also the subject of an extremely popular ad campaign centered on Canadian nationalism, the most famous examples of which are "The Rant" and "The Anthem"...
"
advertisingAdvertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
slogan for the new tagline "It Starts Here". Shortly after, a Molson TV advertising campaign started, with Canadian actor
Jason JonesJason Jones is a Canadian actor and comedian who is a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.-Life and career:Jones was born in Hamilton, Ontario. He attended Ryerson Theatre School in Toronto...
portraying an American spokesperson who played upon the stereotypes of American ignorance of Canadian culture. Molson Canadian went through a significant re-staging during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic games where Molson Canadian Hockey House became "the" venue outside of competition venues. The new "made from Canada" advertising caught the hearts, minds and stomachs of Canadians and the brand saw share growth in early 2010. Molson Canadian remains a core strategic brand in the portfolio in Canada.
Molson Coors has launched the world’s only microcarbonated lager in November 2009, calling it Molson M. In order to keep the secret of this injection of Co2 carbonation that results in conserving the taste of the hops better and the flavors generated by the yeast during fermentation, Molson has decided to apply for a patent on the microcarbonation process involved in making the beer.
Molson Coors Canada was also named to the 2011 list of top employeers in Canada, as well as the Greater Toronto Area. In 2010 Molson Coors Canada was recognized by "I Love Rewards" as one of the top 50 most engaged companies in Canada. Molson Coors Canada was also one of the top ten "regional winners" in pursuit of the top ten most admired cultures in Canada, as determined by Waterhouse Human Capital. Molson Coors Canada was also one of the finalists for Marketer of the Year by Marketing Magazine. In Quebec Molson Coors Canada is seen as one of the most philanthropic compaines in 2010. Molson Coors Canada's commitment to community has been evidenced for over 224 years.
Quotations
My beer has been universally well-liked beyond my most sanguine expectations.
- John Molson, 1786
"We are all members of a larger community which depends on everyone playing a part," John Molson speaking to employees in 1825
"An honest brew makes its own friends," John Molson, and displayed on Molson Canadian packaging today
It Starts Here - Molson Canadian tag line, 2005
"True Canadian Taste" - Molson Canadian tag line, 2007
"Made From Canada" - Current Molson Canadian tag line, 2010
Brands
Molson brands include
Carling Black Label and
Molson CanadianMolson Canadian is a brand of 5% abv North American lager brewed by Molson, the Canadian division of Molson Coors Brewing Company. The beer was introduced in 1959.-Awards:Molson Canadian has won several beer industry awards, including:...
.
Other ventures
Outside of
beerBeer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
and
ice hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, the Molson family were pioneers in steamships, hospitality, assisting with the building of the Montreal Hospital, patrons of the arts, and until 1925, involved in banking too, through
Molson BankThe Molson Bank was a Canadian bank founded in Montreal, Quebec, by brothers William and John Molson, Jr...
which merged with The Bank of Montreal. Molson was once the owner of home improvement chains
Beaver LumberBeaver Lumber was a Canadian building supply chain owned by Molson. It was once Canada's fourth largest building supply chain with 138 stores. In 2000 it was purchased by Home Hardware, a cooperative of over 1000 independent Canadian hardware stores...
and Aikenhead's Home Improvement Warehouse. In February 1994, Molson sold 75% interest in Aikenhead's to Home Depot Inc for $150 million.
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/business/companies/home_depot_inc/index.html?offset=30&s=oldest&inline=nyt-org
External links
should have