Lion New Zealand has inaugurated refurbished Speight’s Brewery in Dunedin, following a $40m upgrade project.
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key has officially opened the brewery, which features a new 150Hl brew house, a multi-purpose tank farm, new refrigeration plant and upgraded boilers, new sales and operations offices.
The company has also relocated the keg and Maltexo plants from Christchurch.
With these renovations, the brewery will have a capacity to brew more than 24 million litres per year and will operate 5 days a week employing 27 permanent employees.
Lion CEO Stuart Irvine said that the project was the second largest capital investment Lion has made in New Zealand.
"Redeveloping a site like this is one thing, but maintaining a full production programme while plant and equipment are moved around requires equal measures of genius, resilience and teamwork," Irvine added.
According to Irvine, the company has invested around 80% of the $40m budget locally and the remaining off-shore in procuring specialist brewing equipment.
