Lion Nathan’s new $250 million manufacturing and warehousing facility in East Tamaki, Auckland, was officially opened on 14 October by the Prime Minister, John Key, at an event attended by Lion Nathan board, management and employees and around 100 guests. The facility replaces the Lion Brewery on Khyber Pass in Newmarket, and incorporates their contract bottling company in Springs Road, East Tamaki.

The 16.7 ha site on Ormiston Road was purchased in November 2007, and groundworks for Project Century, as the new facility was known whilst under construction, got underway in January 2008. Construction of the main buildings began in December that year; the expansive roof was erected between April and October 2009; the vast concrete floor in the packaging hall and warehouse was poured in stages from June to December; and the internal fitout began in July. The total building area is 60,000 sq m.

The first brew was made in September 2009, and was packaged into a commemorative six-pack for Lion Nathan employees. Commercial production at Ormiston Road commenced in December 2009, with individual product lines, operations and equipment transferred from the Khyber Pass plant on a staged basis so that any logistical problems could be ironed out without a break in production. With Ormiston Road fully operational by July 2010, the Khyber Pass plant began the process of being decommissioned, a procedure which is expected to be complete by March 2011.

A new era in brewing

Called The Pride, the popular choice following an internal competition amongst Lion Nathan employees for a new name, the new facility incorporates a state-ofthe- art brewery along with wines and spirits manufacturing, and packaging and distribution capability. It is the largest ever greenfield brewery and beverage manufacturing development undertaken in Australasia.

Speaking at the opening, Geoff Ricketts, chairman of Lion Nathan National Foods (Lion’s parent company), said the opening of The Pride marks the end of more than 150 years of brewing in Newmarket and the beginning of a new era for Lion’s New Zealand operations. “Although we had strong emotional ties to the Khyber Pass plant, there were huge efficiencies to be gained by combining the manufacturing, bottling, packaging and warehousing aspects of our business. This entirely new facility delivers a new era in best-in-class brewing and beverage manufacturing for New Zealand – something that is, in reality, an opportunity most businesses like ours get only once in a hundred years, if at all.”

Mr Ricketts described the project as one of the single biggest manufacturing constructions undertaken in New Zealand in the last few years and one of the biggest ever undertaken in South Auckland. “Of the $250 million budget, over 70% of that was spent here in New Zealand. Up to 250 people were employed onsite during the two-year construction period.

“At a time when New Zealand’s manufacturing sector has been challenged by the global recession and unprecedented economic conditions, we believe this project is a significant reinforcement of our commitment to Auckland and Lion Nathan’s wider contribution to New Zealand’s economic prosperity,” he said.

Environmental improvements

Peter Kean, managing director of Lion Nathan New Zealand, said the new facility will allow Lion to better integrate its production and supply chain activities with the needs of the marketplace, improve customer responsiveness and optimise productivity. “We’ve also significantly improved the workplace environment for our people and achieved a number of environmental performance improvements, including reduced carbon emissions, energy and water use.”

Mr Kean highlighted the use of glass-aggregate concrete, or ‘glasscrete’, throughout the facility, which reused the crushed glass from some of the 330 million bottles of beer that Lion sells each year in New Zealand. Developed by Lion’s construction partners Mainzeal and Beca, in association with Visy and Holcim, the product saw Mainzeal and Holcim awarded the inaugural Concrete³ Sustainability Award in 2008. When polished or hammered, the coloured glass shards are revealed, adding architectural appeal to feature walls and exposed surfaces.

“We’re thrilled to have such fantastic 21st century facilities to help us continue to grow our business and deliver New Zealand’s best-loved alcoholic beverage brands in the same great tradition as we have done for the last 150 years,” Mr Kean added.

Before unveiling a plaque marking the opening of The Pride, the Prime Minister reiterated that New Zealand needs to rebuild its manufacturing sector to become healthy and wealthy again. “Everyone that works here should take great pride in being involved with working in this tremendous facility.”