Lion invests $12m in James Boag & Son Brewery

Lion plans to invest over $12 million to upgrade the packaging, brewing and utility operations at its James Boag & Son Brewery in Launceston, building on its previous investment in the site.

The investment will introduce new brewing capabilities and increase packaged production by over 65 per cent to more than 90 million litres per annum. The upgrade will also allow the brewery to incorporate all West Australian pack production, following the announcement that Lion intends to close The Swan Brewery in Canning Vale, Western Australia.

Gary Faulkner, operations director James Boag & Son Brewery, said the further investment would ensure Lion is well resourced to meet the future requirements of its growing portfolio.

“The capability to brew more brands and increase utilisation at our brewery is not only great news for us, but also for the local community, which will see the benefits of this investment during the construction phase and beyond,” said Faulkner.

“Since Lion took ownership of Boag’s, we’ve grown volumes by over 20 per cent and our decision to brew a wider range of our beers in Launceston will, we believe, bring ongoing economic benefits to Tasmania.”

Upgrade works to the brewery, which is located on the banks of the Esk River in Launceston, are expected to be completed by October 2013.

Since acquiring James Boag & Son from San Miguel in 2007, Lion has invested over $55 million in the site, building a new brewhouse, filtration plant, canning filler, pasteuriser and new fermentation and bright beer vessels.