In January-July 2007, Belarusian brewery Rechitsapivo produced 1.688 million decaliters of beer, 10% up on the same period of last year, the company’s representatives told BelTA.
Over the first seven months of the year sales amounted to 1.685 million decaliters of beer, 9% up on the same period of 2006. The production and sales growth is primarily attributed to a 43% increase in PET-bottled beer production (to a total of 1.042 million decaliters).
The sales also benefited from larger export. In January-July Rechitsapivo exported 31,130 decaliters of beer, 83.9% up on the same period of 2006. The beer was mainly exported to the Russian Federation.
Over the seven months of the year around 80% of Rechitsapivo’s production capacity was utilised. In summer the company was virtually fully loaded — 96% in June and 83% in July.
Last year the company accomplished a regular reconstruction stage, which expanded the lager fermenting division. The division was equipped with four new Danish cone tanks raising the beer production capacity by 30%. In 2006 the PET bottling line was equipped with an automatic bottle blower.
While turning out more beer, the company works hard to improve its quality. In early 2007 the company commissioned a proprietary artesian well equipped with complicated filtering systems. In March the company introduced stricter standards by working out a proprietary hardline quality control policy.
Rechitsapivo is now working on a long-term expensive investment project aimed at introducing a new brand, said the source.
The company sells around 70% of its output in the Gomel oblast, distributing the remaining 30% in the rest of the country and foreign markets.
Joint venture Rechitsapivo OAO (Gomel oblast) was created in 2000 with a 30% share of Lithuanian investments. The company accounts for around 8% of Belarusian beer production.
