Suntory Oceania starts production at AU$400m site
Production has begun at Suntory Oceania’s AU$400 million (US$260.8m) manufacturing facility in Australia, which will produce the company’s ready-to-drink brands from mid-2025.
Suntory’s spirits arm, Suntory Global Spirits, and its soft drinks business, Frucor Suntory, announced it would form a AU$3 billion (US$1.96bn) spirits and no-alcohol venture in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) last year. The two companies have formed Suntory Oceania, the fourth-largest ANZ beverage group in Oceania, the Japanese conglomerate said.
As part of the new venture, the group has built a net-zero facility in Ipswich, Queensland, said to be the largest investment in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) space in Australia in more than a decade.
Mark Hill, managing director of Suntory Global Spirits Oceania, said: “Our Queensland facility complements our global production footprint, which includes distilleries and bottling sites in North America, Europe, and Japan, and will expand our capability and capacity to deliver for our customers like never before.
“This facility is central to Suntory Oceania, and we are thrilled to be harnessing the region’s great local talent, strong infrastructure and connectivity to power this next phase of growth.”
The 17-hectare site is the new manufacturing and distribution hub for the company’s portfolio of more than 40 brands.
The site has the capacity to hold more than 50,000 pallets, with a high-speed glass line and two canning lines that fill at an ‘industry-leading speed’ of 180,000 cans per hour.
To start with, the site will produce V Energy, Australia’s number-one energy drink. By mid-2025, the facility will also produce more than 20 RTD brands, including -196, Canadian Club and Dry, and Jim Beam and Cola.
In addition, the House of Suntory portfolio will be distributed from Queensland, including Japanese whiskies Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Hibiki, as well as Roku Gin and Haku Vodka.
Carbon neutral
The carbon-neutral site features 7,000 solar panels alongside sustainable heating and cooling technology, and onsite waste management and water recycling facilities
Suntory Beverage and Food Oceania CEO Darren Fullerton added: “The start of production at our world-class facility represents a pivotal moment for Suntory Oceania. We are excited about the growth this will unlock for Suntory in the region, and the opportunities we will be able to offer our people, our customers, and our consumers.
“Full ownership of our supply chain will enable more capacity, more control and most importantly, more opportunity to innovate. With this new site we are well positioned to disrupt and ignite the category with our full multi-beverage offering.”
The project has created 160 permanent roles.
Suntory’s Queensland facility is due to open in mid-2025 in line with the commencement of alcohol production and the Suntory Oceania partnership.
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