SABMiller and Coca-Cola Amatil to Establish New Brewery in Australia
The construction of a new brewery will facilitate Pacific Beverages’ access to the Australian premium beer market which has grown at a rate of around 15 per cent each year for the last six years.
08/02/08 SABMiller plc announces that Pacific Beverages Pty Limited (Pacific Beverages), its Australian joint venture with Coca-Cola Amatil Limited (CCA), will invest in the construction of a new brewery in the Central Coast region of New South Wales, some 100 kms from Sydney. The brewery will have a capacity of 500,000 hectolitres and is expected to be completed in 2010. The investment, which will be subject to certain local regulatory clearances, will be funded jointly by SABMiller and CCA.
The construction of a new brewery will facilitate Pacific Beverages’ access to the Australian premium beer market which has grown at a rate of around 15 per cent each year for the last six years. The announcement also follows Pacific Beverages’ recent acquisition of Australian premium brewer, Bluetongue Brewery, and will enable Pacific Beverages to materially increase production of Bluetongue and Bondi Blonde beer brands in order to meet national demand, while also providing capacity for the potential production of other premium beer brands.
The final design will incorporate a number of environmental technologies with the intention that the brewery is one of the most water efficient in the world.
Ari Mervis, Managing Director of SABMiller Asia, commented: “Since Pacific Beverages began trading in late 2006 we have been delighted with the performance of the business which has exceeded our initial expectations and generated significant sales growth. A local brewing facility will give us the option to expand our portfolio and to continue providing consumers with top quality products.”
Terry Davis, the Group Managing Director of CCA, said: “We have found a great site for the new Bluetongue Brewery, located close to the F3 Motorway on the Central Coast, and the gateway to the thriving Hunter region. We are looking forward to building a state-of-the-art facility with our partners SABMiller, who, as one of the world’s largest brewers, will bring great brewing technology and expertise to our Australian market.”
