NIGERIA – The Nigerian beer, stout and malt drinks manufacturer, Golden Guinea Breweries has announced plans to re-enter the beer market after it completes the a major overhaul and upgrade of its production facilities, reported Beverage Industry news.
Golden Guinea involved in brewing, bottling and marketing of Golden Guinea larger beer, Eagle Stout, Bergedorf Premium beer and Bergedorf Malta was shut down in 2003 following a fire outbreak at the facilities.
This include installation of new equipment with a capacity of 48,000 bottles per hour or 1.15 million bottles in a day.
According to the company, it has twice the installed capacity of the old equipment which produced 24,000 bottles per hour and more than double what its competitors at Nigerian Breweries’ Ama, Enugu plant and International Breweries Onitsha brewery produces.
Also, the facility is installed with new fermenting equipment, Bright Beer tank (BBT) units, new boilers, C02 equipment, mash filter units, grain handling equipment, weighing scale, hammer mill, roller mill, polisher receiving scale and silos.
Plans are underway to increase capacity in order to meet demand not for the Eastern states but also across the country.
“Our distribution is not going to focus only on the Eastern States but will be distributing our drinks across Nigeria.
We must ensure our drinks are in Lagos and other states in the West, North and Southern Nigeria, while also consolidating our premier position in the East,” said a representative of Pan Marine Investments Limited, a core investor in the company.
Also, the facility is installed with new fermenting equipment, Bright Beer tank (BBT) units, new boilers, C02 equipment, mash filter units, grain handling equipment, weighing scale, hammer mill, roller mill, polisher receiving scale and silos.
Founded in 1963 as Independence Breweries Limited, it changed its name to Golden Guinea Breweries in 1971.
Shift in market share
The Nigerian market share hotly contested by global brands – Nigerian Breweries, Guinness Nigeria and SABMiller is set to change with the re-entry of Golden Guinea.
Growth in the brewery industry is propelled by factors including youthful population and the growing middle-class and competitors are positioning their brands to capture a portion of consumers in the market.
While Nigerian Breweries, a subsidiary of Netherlands-based Heineken International continues to grow market share each year, Guinness Plc (Subsidiary of Diageo, England) is reported to be shrinking, having dropped 14% in the market.
With twice the capacity and more than double that of the competitors, Golden Guinea is set to grab a significant market share in the industry with an estimated turnover of more than US$820m.
