Heineken USA, White Plains, N.Y., announced that it's ushering in a new era of imports in efforts to focus on developing its emerging global beer brands and their integration within the U.S. market. This month, Heineken USA established Five Points Trading Co., a venture aimed at "incubating a range of popular global beers in the U.S.," says Heineken's blog.
Named after the five points of the brewer’s iconic red star and America’s first melting pot neighborhood in lower Manhattan, Five Points will assume importer responsibilities for the Red Stripe, Tiger, Birra Moretti, Affligem, Murphy's, Prestige, Sagres and Mort Subite brands. Heineken USA will continue to focus on driving the growth of its core Heineken, Dos Equis, Tecate and Strongbow business.
Five Points will operate as a separate division of Heineken USA’s headquarters in White Plains the company states, adding that importer transitions will be effective on January 1, 2017.
The venture will allow Heineken USA to bring these emerging premium brands back in-house, while taking them to new heights by utilizing the resources and expertise of the company's established distribution network.
Leading the new company will be general manager Charles Littlefield who, along with his team, will manage the new brands separately from Heineken USA's current lineup.
"Like its neighborhood namesake, Five Points Trading Co. will provide a nexus for new thoughts, perspectives and cultural exploration, while tapping into the legacy and import expertise of Heineken USA," states Littlefield. "This portfolio of exceptional beers provides new opportunities to connect with millennial beer drinkers as they become more global and more adventurous with their taste."
Import contracts for the smaller brands were set to expire at the end of this year, Heineken says, prompting Five Points' creation and the move to acquire the distribution rights from a variety of U.S. importing companies.
United States Beverage had been importing the Tiger and Murphy’s brands while Total Beverage Solutions was earlier importing Affligem and Birra Moretti while Saraiva Enterprises imported Sagres to a select U.S. markets.
