Coopers Brewery has announced it will install $6 million in new production equipment at its South Australian brewery within the next 12 months.
Coopers managing director, Dr Tim Cooper, said the brewery would be installing a new multi-pack packaging machine, rebuilding the pasteuriser and adding a new filter to its lager line. He said the upgrade will provide the brewery with additional capability in producing different styles of beer and packaging options.
“The new multi-pack packer will allow us to produce new carton sizes, ranging from 12 to 24 bottles, for special promotions or in order to produce packs that meet certain price points,” he said. “This is something which has been embraced by soft drink producers and is something we believe will become more common in the future.”
The announcement follows the expenditure in late 2008 on a new palletiser, including two new industrial robots and on a new can filler, as well as investing in the introduction of a new bottle.
Cooper added that additional kegs will be ordered to help cope with keg sales volume, which has continued to grow at an overall rate of 4.3 per cent in the second half of 2008 and at 20 per cent outside Coopers’ traditional stronghold of South Australia.