At the General Meeting held on 28 June 2016, the Board of Directors of Bernard-Massard appointed Hubert Clasen (65) as Chairman of the company; he succeeds Edmond Muller who had held the office since 2008 when he succeeded Carlo Clasen.
Hubert Clasen will remain CEO and Anthony Clasen will ensure the daily management of the company as Executive Vice President, assisted by Jean Paul Beck, Administrative Director and Stephan Krämer, Technical Director.
In reviewing 2015 for the company, Hubert Clasen stated that the year started off with changes in the VAT system, with alcohol being charged 17% instead of the previous 3%. Also, due to the attacks in Paris and Brussels, fewer people were drinking celebratory drinks such as sparking wine. However, direct sales, particularly in December, saw strong sales.
Bernard-Massard's exports remain buoyant with sales in 20+ countries, ensuring it is still the largest exporter of Luxembourg sparkling wines. In Belgium, the company was able to expand its distribution network and is present in all major retailers in the country. Behind Belgium, Canada is now the 2nd top export destination, where almost 200,000 bottles of Cuvée de l’Ecusson have been sold in the last five years. In 3rd place is Finland which is showing an annual increase of 10%.
Bernard-Massard is based in Grevenmacher and employs 80 staff with a 2015 turnover of €17.35 million, up 3.8%, with a net profit of €1.5 million.
Photo (L-R): Antoine Clasen, Hubert Clasen.
