Camus Cognac is a brand of cognac that has been produced by five generations of the Camus family. The business was founded in 1863 by Jean-Baptiste Camus. Today, it employs 500 people in eight countries, but more importantly it has become the fifth largest producer and the largest family-owned cognac maison among more than 300 houses. Its main competitors (all with a degree of family ownership) are the four major houses: Hennessy (owned by LVMH), Martell (owned by Pernod Ricard), Rémy Martin (owned by Rémy Cointreau), and Courvoisier (owned by Beam Suntory), who account for around 85% of the global cognac market with Camus’ slice sitting at 5-6%.
Rather than compete in the crowded domestic market, the 153 year old company has preferred the internationalization route from the very beginning. The first generation started by exporting 7000 casks to London in 1870. The second generation expanded to Europe and Russia, where it became the official cognac of the last Tsar in 1910. The third generation started doing business with the US, while the fourth generation ventured into the Asian markets.
Every generation in the company has pushed itself to go beyond what the previous one had done and create a larger future for the company. Currently, the firm is led by Cyril Camus – the fifth generation of the Camus family. Cyril has further strengthened the international distribution network by opening offices in China, the US, Russia, Vietnam, and Japan.
Source: CampdenFB
