Loyal shareholder visits Farsons

Sixty years ago Victor Gilson from Sliema believed in the future prospects of Maltese brewing company Simonds Farsons Ltd (as it was then known) and its management led by the late Lewis Farrugia.

When it first went public in 1948, Mr Gilson, then 22, was one of the first who bought shares in the company and became one of its first shareholders. Since then, he has attended all 60 annual general meetings of the Farsons Group, he told Farsons Group chief executive Louis Farrugia at last February's inaugural activities marking the opening of the new packaging centre for soft drinks and the new logistics centre at the brewery in Mrieħel.

Mr Farrugia then invited Victor Gilson to visit the brewery, where he presented him with two publications on the history of Farsons in the presence of Farsons Group chairman Bryan Gera and company secretary Arthur Muscat.

The company went public in 1948, offering 140,000 shares of one Maltese pound each at two Maltese pounds per share. The issue was heavily oversubscribed, making it one of the first public companies in Maltese commercial history.

The group marks its 80th anniversary this year.