Coopers Brewery voted family business of 2011

Coopers Brewery, the Australian beer maker behind brands such as Dr Tim’s Traditional Ale, has been voted family business of the year by CampdenFB readers.

The company, which was established in 1862, took the honour with 38% of the vote after a strong year, which saw revenues rise and Coopers become the biggest Australian-owned brewery.

Editor of CampdenFB David Bain called Coopers, headed by cousins Tim and Glenn Cooper, a "worthy winner”.

“Now in its fifth generation of control, Coopers is a great example of how a family business with an iconic brand can be revived by future generations after difficult times,” he said.

“Coopers is a testament to the visionary management of Tim and Glenn Cooper – and indeed the whole Cooper family over the many generations that it has existed.”

The popular family business had the support of the local Australia press, which encouraged readers to vote for Coopers in the CampdenFB poll.

“We send a very warm-hearted thank you to everyone who voted for us in the poll. This is a fantastic start to our 150th anniversary celebrations in 2012,” Tim Cooper said in a statement. 

“We send a very warm-hearted thank you to everyone who voted for us in the poll. Coopers prides itself on being family owned and controlled with a strong focus on the quality of our products. We are very pleased to be named the world’s top family business of the year,” he added.

Danish toymaker Lego, which has seen profits soar by 68% since 2008, took the second place with 20% of the vote, followed by east African retailer Nakumatt.

Estee Lauder, Firmenich, Ford Motor, Godrej Group, Odebrecht and Puig were also on the CampdenFB Family Business of the Year shortlist.

Don’t miss the next issue of CampdenFB, which will feature an exclusive interview with Tim Cooper.