Beam Suntory and Frucor Suntory announce Suntory Oceania, a new AU$3bn multi-beverage partnership across the premium spirits and non-alcohol segments in both Australia and New Zealand.
Under the Suntory Oceania umbrella, Beam Suntory and Frucor Suntory together will create the fourth-largest ANZ beverage group in Oceania with full end-to-end control of its portfolio, including manufacturing, sales, and distribution. Preparation will start now to ensure the partnership is operational for mid-2025 in Australia and 2026 in New Zealand.
Suntory Oceania’s 40 market-leading brands will include Jim Beam® and Maker’s Mark® Bourbon, Hibiki® Japanese Whisky, Canadian Club® Whisky, -196, V Energy, Maximus, Suntory BOSS Coffee among many more, and spans premium spirits, RTD (ready-to-drink) alcohol beverages, juice, water, soft drinks, coffee, energy and sports drinks.
Frucor Suntory CEO, Darren Fullerton said, “This new venture is all about bringing the best of Suntory to Oceania. With the ability to accelerate our growth trajectory, we strongly believe it will redefine market dynamics and offer more consumer beverage moments from sunrise to sunset, unlocking innovation for our customers across retail and hospitality industries.”
Mark Hill, Managing Director of Beam Suntory Oceania, commented, “This collaboration demonstrates our belief in the growth potential of the Australian and New Zealand markets. When other businesses are pulling back, we are forging ahead, bringing Suntory’s spirit of bold ambition to life.”
The largest single FMCG investment in Australia in over a decade, the construction of a new AU$400M, net zero facility in Ipswich, Queensland, will be the catalyst for Suntory’s growth ambitions.
Complementing current manufacturing operations in Auckland, the new Queensland site will become home to additional beverage processing, packaging, warehousing, and distribution. The new facility is on track to be operational in mid-2024 with the ability to produce 20 million cases on start-up and over 50 million cases in the future.
Fullerton added, “At Suntory, we are proud of our nearly 125-year-old focus on Growing for Good. The new site sets the industry standard in terms of investment into sustainable technologies to drive efficiency and minimise our carbon footprint. We are looking at a multi-pronged strategy through a CleanCo solar power purchase agreement, over 14km of solar panels on site, biomass boiler and state-of-the-art production equipment.”
Growing for Good also means fuelling the economy, with Suntory expanding the current workforce and hiring over 400 roles as the partnership comes to life from mid-2025.
“We are immensely grateful for our long and successful relationship with Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, which will continue through to 2025,” Hill said.
“With Suntory Oceania, we are looking to the future with optimism and a wholly owned platform from which to build the long-term growth of our brands for years to come. It is the perfect opportunity for us to build upon the strength of Suntory as the global leader across the beverage sector.” Hill concluded.
