Tiger beer producer expands brewery in Vietnam
SINGAPORE - Singapore-based Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) has expanded the capacity of its brewery in Vietnam by 50 percent to quench the country's growing thirst for beer.
Vietnam Brewery Limited (VBL) now has an annual capacity of 2.3 million hectolitres from 1.5 million previously after the 63-million Singapore dollar (39 million US) upgrade, producer of the famous Tiger Beer said late Thursday.
Apart from Tiger Beer, the brewery which is majority owned by APB also produces Heineken beer, Amber Stout and Coors Light.
Tiger Beer and Heineken holds a combined 85 percent market share in Vietnam's premium beer segment and APB sees the expanded brewery as key to cementing its position in the fast-growing market.
Vietnam's beer market expanded 17 percent in 2005, APB said.
"In the past decade, APB has invested strongly in growing the brands to reach the status where they are today," said chief executive officer Koh Poh Tiong.
"With the additional capacity now in place at VBL, it will make it technically feasible for us to continue to build on the success of these brands by driving higher volumes and more importantly, upholding their leadership position in the premium beer segment," he said.
APB is one of Asia's leading brewers with 26 breweries in the region including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia.
The company has been aggressively expanding in the region. Last month, it announced plans to open a brewery in Laos and the acquisition of Indian brewer Aurangabad Breweries for 18 million US dollars.
Agence France Presse - June 9, 2006.
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