San Miguel to build beverage facility in Indonesia

San Miguel to build beverage facility in Indonesia

Agence France-Presse, Manila

Philippines brewer San Miguel Corp. said Thursday it has
broken ground for a new beverage manufacturing facility in
Indonesia as part of its Asian expansion.

The project would be located outside Jakarta, at the MM2100
Industrial City in the city of Bekasi in the west of Java island,
San Miguel said in a statement.

Company officials visited the site to lay markers prior to the
start of construction.

A new company called PT San Miguel Indonesia Foods and
Beverage will be created and it will manufacture and distribute
ready-to-drink soft beverages.

San Miguel will control an 85 percent stake in the firm, and
PT Delta Djakarta Tbk, its brewery in Indonesia, will hold the
balance of 15 percent, the statement said.

The Philippine company said more ground-breaking activities
are scheduled within the year in Australia, Vietnam, China and
Malaysia.

The firm has more than 100 manufacturing facilities in the
Philippines, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam and Australia.
It exports its products to more than 40 countries.

It noted Indonesia's huge beverage market had been growing at
an average of 20 percent in the past five years.

"This new business reflects San Miguel's full confidence in
Indonesia as a fast-growing economy and manifests our continuing
commitment to promote the best interests of consumers in this
country," San Miguel chief executive Eduardo Cojuangco said in
the statement.

Meanwhile, San Miguel said it has also completed its
acquisition of the brewery assets of Thai Amarit Brewery Ltd.,
which is also part of its aggressive regional expansion program.

The assets include a modern and fully-equipped brewery and the
acquisition would complement other San Miguel projects in
Thailand.

Also as part of its expansion program, the firm said it is
also eyeing to set up a beer and liquor unit in Malaysia.