Suntory Oceania has revealed that V Energy will be among the first drinks to be produced at its new $400 million facility in Ipswich, Queensland.
Once operational in mid-2024, V Energy as well as 18 of Suntory Oceania’s RTD drinks will be made at the state-of-the-art manufacturing and distribution facility, with non-alcohol production commencing in mid-2024 and alcohol production starting in mid-2025.
Darren Fullerton, CEO of Frucor Suntory Oceania, said Suntory Oceania is well placed to ride the next wave of growth in its existing core markets of alcohol, non-alcohol RTDs, and energy drinks.
“The partnership will unlock further potential and agility in the supply chain – and more strategic portfolio innovation into emerging beverage categories.”
RTD is the fastest growing liquor category, growing at 4.8 per cent in value and holding almost 20 per cent share of all liquor sales in Australia*. Beam Suntory has been the number one contributor to value growth in the RTD market for the past two years with its Suntory -196.
Mark Hill, Managing Director for Beam Suntory Oceania, said preparation starts now to ensure the partnership is operational to go to market with their combined portfolio in mid-2025 in Australia and 2026 in New Zealand.
“Working alongside our production sites in New Zealand, North America, Europe, and Japan, full ownership of our supply chain allows us to respond with greater agility to market needs and expand our capability and capacity.”
The Ipswich manufacturing facility will deliver over 160 local roles and is the largest FMCG investment into Australia in the past decade.
*Circana – Market Edge Liquor Outlook Sept 2023.
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