John Molson opened his brewery to the public on July 28, 1786, and began The Molson Companies’ proud heritage. Six generations of the Molson family have contributed to the company and Eric Molson is its Chairman today.

But success is not assured by being a long-established company, or a company that has made astute decisions in the past. The business world is dynamic, and in this context, the story of the company has many themes: business strategies honed by the needs of the time, diversification, and concern for the community — to cite three of the most important. The company’s history is not just a list of the dates, times and places of The Molson Companies’ milestones. Rather, it is a two-hundred-year demonstration of these business traditions.

Today, The Molson Companies Limited is a Canadian public corporation with interests in over forty countries. There are four principal businesses — Molson Breweries, Diversey Corporation, Beaver Lumber Company and Club de Hockey Canadien.

The Molson Companies also has a 25 percent interest in The Home Depot Canada and a 44.5 percent indirect investment in Groupe Val Royal.

Molson Breweries is the leading brewer in Canada, the leading exporter of beer to the United States. The strategic alliance of Molson Breweries with the Miller Brewing Company of Milwaukee has contributed to this success. This alliance allows Molson to become a major brand in the U.S. market in co-operation with Miller. At the same time, it provides opportunities for cost reductions and operating synergies that would not be available through a simple licensing arrangement.

While Molson is synonymous with Canadian beer in North America and the United Kingdom, Molson Breweries also has a global business perspective and licensing agreements with some of the world’s best-known brands.

Diversey Corporation, with operating companies in over forty countries, serves customers in more than one hundred countries around the world. Diversey is the prime global supplier of cleaning, sanitizing, metal surface treatment and water management products and systems. It is a good example of how a Canadian-based company can dominate a market segment worldwide.
 

1. Molson, highly respected throughout the brewing world, continues to produce and market the best quality beer as efficiently as possible. 2. Diversey’s worldwide resources, combined with dedicated customer service, give life to the company’s commitment to “Global Strength — Local Care”. 3. From coast-to-coast, Beaver Lumber offers customers value, assortment and service. 4. Montreal Canadiens — winners of more Stanley Cups than any other National Hockey League team — are an internationally recognized symbol of excellence in sport.

Beaver Lumber Company is the leading retailer of building supplies and do-it-yourself products in smaller Canadian cities, towns and rural areas. Complementing this business, The Molson Companies formed a partnership in Canada with the Home Depot, an Atlanta-based chain of warehouse stores widely regarded as the leading retailer in the home improvement industry. This partnership will build on the success of The Molson Companies’ Aikenhead’s Home Improvement Warehouse and expand this concept into Canada’s major urban centres.

Club de Hockey Canadien is the fourth principal business of The Molson Companies. While venturing into international markets, The Molson Companies remain strongly rooted in Canada as a longstanding owner of the National Hockey League’s premier franchise, the Montreal Canadiens.

The strategy of diversification continues the entrepreneurial legacy of John Molson. After John Molson established his brewery in 1786, he continually improved and expanded his brewing business. But he also did something more common in business two hundred years later: he began to diversify.

In 1797, John Molson opened a lumber yard. He went on to launch The Accommodation, the first of a fleet of steamships that served as commercial transport on the St. Lawrence River in 1809. Then came boat terminals, a foundry and the British American Hotel, in Montreal, in 1816, and the Theatre Royale in 1825. In the year he died, 1836, John Molson made one of his most significant contributions to the business life of his time by helping to create Canada’s first railway line.

Diversification, coupled with a keen appreciation for the most timely investments, guided business development after John Molson’s death: Molson’s early participation in a “gas-light” company, distilleries, flour and saw mills and — a crowning achievement in 1855 — the granting of a Parliamentary Charter for the Molson’s Bank. In 1925, its 125 branches became part of Canada’s oldest chartered bank, the Bank of Montreal.

Paralleling these accomplishments, The Molson Companies’ belief in social responsibility and community involvement has long been in evidence. John Molson was a significant benefactor of the Montreal General Hospital, in 1822, Thomas Molson College was founded in 1857, and William Molson Hall, at McGill University, opened in 1862.

Building on this tradition, The Molson Companies Donations Fund was incorporated in 1973 as a non-profit organization. Its motto, “Partners in our Community’s Future.” The Fund provides support for initiatives addressing national and local needs in health, social welfare, education, and the environment.

Strategic agility. Diversification. A concern for community. These have been some of the key aspects of The Molson Companies’ tradition for over two hundred years. A tradition, moreover, which continues to fuel the growth of this Canadian company around the world today.