www.grupazywiec.pl

We warmly welcome Grupa Żywiec to the Foundation for Corporate Social Responsibility, and bestow our Foundation’s Gold Seal of Approval on Grupa Żywiec as a socially responsible company. 
 
Grupa Żywiec was established in December 1998 as a result of a merger between Zakłady Piwowarskie w Żywcu S.A., controlled by Heineken International BV, and Brewpole B.V. with breweries in Elbl±g, Leżajsk and Warka, Poland. The merger of four companies employing over 5000 people was the largest in the food and drink industry in Poland.  The sales and distribution organization, Żywiec Sprzedaż i Dystrybucja, is also part of Grupa Żywiec.    
 
Grupa Żywiec S.A. is a major player on the Polish beer market, which has been confirmed many times over by the company’s exceptional performance. In 2004, the annual sales volume of the Group passed the threshold of 10 million hl for the first time in the history of the entire Polish brewing sector. Every year, over 100 thousand hl of beer brewed at Grupa Żywiec breweries is exported abroad.  
 
Grupa Żywiec S.A. consists of 5 breweries in Żywiec, Warka, Elbl±g, Leżajsk and Cieszyn. All breweries use state-of-the-art equipment and technology to assure top quality of their beer. All breweries of the Group have implemented and documented a food safety system in accordance with HACCP and the norm DS 3027E:2002.  
 
Every third bottle of beer purchased in Poland has been made by Grupa Żywiec S.A. The Group’s flagship brands include: Żywiec, Heineken, Warka, Strong, Tatra and Królewskie.  The Leżajsk Brewery brews Leżajsk beer which is sold in the south of Poland, while the Cieszyn Brewery makes Brackie beer. Specjal and Kujawiak beers on the other hand, are mainly available in the north of Poland. The Group’s portfolio also includes Freeq and the so-called specialities such as foreign beers: Paulaner, Fischer, Murphy’s Irish Stout and Murphy’s Irish Red, as well as Polish beers, like Hevelius, Kaper and Żywiec Porter. The Desperados brand has been brewed at the brewery in Żywiec since March 2008.  
 
Hops twigs with a crown are the Group’s symbol. The crown stands for the top quality of hops cones used for beer brewing and for the respect for traditional recipes. 
 Values are the basis of Grupa Zywiec’s activities. Grupa Żywiec obeys three core values in its activities: respect for individuals and the environment in which it operates, passion, by radiating quality in everything it produces, and pleasure which it brings into life through its products and activities that it supports.   
 
In its actions, Grupa Żywiec endorses the principle of a comprehensive approach towards management which puts commercial objectives at the same level as transparency of financial information, environmental care and compliance with the standards of business conduct in all areas of the company’s operations. The Group wants its actions to be beneficial to local communities and co-operating partners. The company supports a number of economic and social initiatives, as well as co-finances artistic and cultural projects. Grupa Żywiec is proud that it is one of the largest and best known employers in Poland.  
 
Grupa Żywiec organizes and supports projects aimed at promoting responsible beer consumption. The company pays special attention to such issues as prevention of alcohol sales to minors and educating drivers.  
 
We are honored to welcome Grupa Żywiec to our Foundation and look forward to working closely with President Chris Barrow and his team in helping make life in Poland better for our PromiseKids.