Drinks giant, Frucor Suntory selects Queensland for new facility

An international beverage manufacturer is set to quench the thirst of the Ipswich jobs market with a new +$400 million facility to be developed in Swanbank with support from the Palaszczuk Government.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said Frucor Suntory’s plans for a major beverage manufacturing facility in Ipswich was another big win for Queensland.

“It’s an incredible coup for our state that an international company of the calibre of Suntory, that has a global workforce of over 40,000, has chosen Queensland ahead of others to establish a permanent manufacturing facility here,” the Premier said.

“The value of attracting this investment to Queensland will have significant benefits for our economic recovery and most importantly, it will create new jobs for Queenslanders.

“This project is expected to create around 450 construction and installation jobs by 2023/2024.

“It will also create 160 long-term roles when it starts operating in mid-2024.”

Treasurer and Minister for Trade and Investment Cameron Dick said Queensland secured Frucor Suntory’s new manufacturing plant ahead of offers from other states and other countries.

“Our Government is single-minded in our pursuit of new manufacturing opportunities, and the long-term highly-skilled jobs they bring,” the Treasurer said.

“Our skilled workforce, readily available industrial land with quality logistics access and the Queensland lifestyle make us a destination of choice for heavy manufacturing projects.

“This factory will have the immediate capability to produce up to 20 million cases of drinks each year, with the ability to be significantly scaled up in the future.

“Queensland Treasury’s Investment team has gone above and beyond to secure this deal and I am so grateful for the work they have done bringing this factory to Queensland.”

The multi-beverage facility will include beverage processing, packaging, warehousing and distribution, strengthening the company’s ability to service its customers and the growing Australian market.

CEO Darren Fullerton said Frucor Suntory is proud to have operated across Oceania for over sixty years.

“Building on our strong manufacturing capabilities in New Zealand, this investment in Queensland recognises the growth trajectory we believe is possible for our business,” Mr Fullerton said.

“Pending approvals, we’re planning to start early work construction in the third quarter of this year and commence operations in mid-2024.

“Frucor Suntory is excited to be establishing this permanent facility in Ipswich and we thank the Queensland Government for partnering with us to make this possible.”

Taka Sanno, Suntory Beverage & Food APAC CEO added, “We see outstanding growth opportunities and world class talent across the Oceania region and this facility plays a critical role in realising our plans.

“In line with our Suntory ‘Growing for Good’ vision, we want the new facility to set a benchmark for our investment into sustainable technologies to drive efficiency and minimise our carbon footprint.”

The Frucor Suntory facility will be on a 17-hectare, greenfield site in the New-Gen Business Park (NGBP), located at Swanbank in Ipswich.

Member for Bundamba Lance McCallum said Ipswich is the perfect location for job creating major manufacturing projects, with the proposed site only six kilometres from the Ipswich CBD and in close proximity to South-East Queensland’s arterial road network.

“This is the latest vote of confidence in our local community as not only a great place to live and work, but also invest.

“We are ideally located for transport and logistics, as well as for the facility’s hundreds of future workers,” he said.

“We are delivering more jobs in more industries, and the new skilled jobs that will be delivered as a result of this investment will include including machinery operators and drivers; technicians and trade workers; professionals; sales workers; managers and clerical and administration staff.”

The project aligns with the Queensland Government’s Advanced Manufacturing 10-Year Roadmap and Action Plan that identifies beverage manufacturing as a high-value, key industry sector for Queensland.

Learn more about the Queensland Government’s investment programs and how they are attracting high-impact, job-creating projects to the state.

ENDS

Media contact:

Geoff Breusch 0417 272 875