Under the Suntory Oceania umbrella, Beam Suntory and Frucor Suntory together will create the fourth-largest ANZ beverage group in Oceania with full end-to-end control of its portfolio, including manufacturing, sales, and distribution.

Preparation will start now to ensure the partnership is operational for mid-2025 in Australia and 2026 in New Zealand.

Frucor Suntory CEO, Darren Fullerton, said: “This new venture is all about bringing the best of Suntory to Oceania. With the ability to accelerate our growth trajectory, we strongly believe it will redefine market dynamics and offer more consumer beverage moments from sunrise to sunset, unlocking innovation for our customers across retail and hospitality industries.”

Mark Hill, managing director of Beam Suntory Oceania, added: “This collaboration demonstrates our belief in the growth potential of the Australian and New Zealand markets. When other businesses are pulling back, we are forging ahead, bringing Suntory’s spirit of bold ambition to life.”

The construction of a new AU$400M, net zero facility in Ipswich, Queensland, will be the catalyst for Suntory’s growth ambitions and will be home to additional beverage processing, packaging, warehousing, and distribution.

The new facility is on track to be operational in mid-2024 with the ability to produce 20m cases on start-up and more than 50m cases in the future.

Fullerton added: “The new site sets the industry standard in terms of investment into sustainable technologies to drive efficiency and minimise our carbon footprint. We are looking at a multi-pronged strategy through a CleanCo solar power purchase agreement, over 14km of solar panels on site, biomass boiler and state-of-the-art production equipment.”

work to establish the partnership will occur over the coming year with each partner, Beam Suntory and Frucor Suntory, retaining its own distinct legal entity.