By James Atkinson
Brewpack has more than doubled the output of its Sydney contract brewing operation since it was formed early last year out of the ashes of Australian Independent Brewers (AIB).
Brewpack director Anton Szpitalak told TheShout the bulk of the growth had come from craft beer, with boutique soft drinks and RTDs also contributing.
"In our first 12 months, we would have doubled the operation that they had at AIB," he said.
"More recently, we would have increased that again by 50 per cent. And we're looking to grow another 75 per cent over the next year."
Szpitalak said Brewpack recently added additional capacity to accommodate future growth, as well as carrying out a major upgrade of its packaging line and installing a new keg machine.
"As we bring on each individual customer, we have to make sure we've got enough capacity in play for our existing customers and some additional capacity coming online," he said.
Szpitalak said the Quiet Deeds beer produced at Brewpack by Red Island is a good "poster child" for contract brewing.
"They're pretty hands on about how they manage their manufacturing, and we make them a good product," he said.
He was unperturbed by industry speculation that competition in the contract brewing market could be about to heat up with the entry of some new players.
"At the rate we are picking up new clients, if there are new competitors out there, they're certainly not competitive," Szpitalak said.