Business Magnet At State House

Castel Group, a French industrial beverage company and mother of Brasseries du Cameroun, is scanning possibilities of further deepening its businesses in Cameroon, its Chief Executive Officer and Founder, Pierre Castel has hinted. The French-born industrialist made the revelation in Yaounde Friday December 20, 2019 after an over 45-minute audience granted him at the State House by Cameroon’s Head of State, Paul Biya.

Talking to the press after their discussions, the Ambassador of France to Cameroon, who accompanied the august guest to the State House audience said, “The CEO of Castel Group came to share views with President Paul Biya about the development and investment of the Castel Group in Cameroon.” Christophe Guilhou told the press that the audience gave President Paul Biya and Pierre Castel the opportunity to share views about the situation and perspectives of Castel Group here in Cameroon. “The Group invests about FCFA 35 billion every year. The Group and CEO therefore need to know about the vision of the country and the importance of the agricultural sector because the Group consumes a lot of the agricultural products,” the French diplomat said. Castel Group, he said, intends to step up local production of its raw materials, mainly agricultural products, so as to considerably reduce their inputs. Castel Group, the French Ambassador added, is a major industrial company which employs about a hundred thousand people around the world. “In Cameroon, Castel Group employs 15,000 people directly and about 35,000 indirectly. So, it is the major actor of the country’s development,” he said. The Group’s information shows that Castel is the largest French wine producer and owns the biggest French and foreign wine brands distributed in France. Castel Group is also the French leader for table wines and the number four for beers and soft drinks in Africa (after SABMiller and Heineken and Guinness), and – after Constellation Brands and Gallo – number four for wine worldwide. Castel is said to have a 25...