Consolidated Breweries invests N1.3bn in Benue Brewery

Benue Brewery Limited, which was recently acquired by Consolidated Breweries Plc, is being repositioned by the new owners with an injection of N1.3bn towards revving up its operations.

 The move, according to the new owners, is just part of measures to ensure that More Lager Beer, the premium product of the company, is given restored to its former market influence.

A statement by the Consolidated Breweries Plc on Friday quoted its Managing Director, Mr. Boudewijn Haarsma, as disclosing this recently in Makurdi during an official visit to the state Governor, Gabriel Suswam.

According to Haarsma, the new management is anchoring its revival plan on two major pillars, including restoration of Benue Brewery’s leading brand, More Lager beer, to growth in its home base and expansion of the firm’s technical capacity.

 He said its technical capacity would be expanded and utilised in order to have sufficient critical scale to become profitable.

“Present capacity of 150,000 hectolitres per annum is being expanded to 400,000 (HL per annum) with an investment of approximately N1.3 bn, and it is expected to be completed in 2012,” he said.

 He also noted that Consolidated Breweries’ technical supervision of Benue Brewery would ensure consistent good quality and effective marketing support. He assured stakeholders in the company that “with the technical supervision of Consolidated Breweries, the volume of its brand can bring in a form of contract brewing. Also, its marketing support is expected to deliver a significant contribution in returning Benue Brewery to a viable state as a company”.

According to the statement, the day also witnessed facility tour of the brewery by the Deputy Governor, Chief Steven Lawani.

The Chairman of Benue Brewery Limited, Mr. Steve Ameh, was also quoted as commending Consolidated Breweries on the huge investment in the Benue Brewery. He was said to have described it as “one of the few industries operating in Benue State that was very strategic to the social and financial development of the state.”

He added, “As at today, more than 75 per cent of the total workforce at the junior level are indigenes of the state and more than 30 per cent of the senior/management staff are also from the state. Additional benefits derivable from the operations of BBL include revenue generation from taxes, through Pay As You Earn and Company Tax to the Federal Government.  Other indirect employment opportunities come through distributorships, supply chains and contractual farming agreement, among others.”

Source: Punch