HwCg buys into Australian supply

Published: 23 July, 2008

Leading UK agency business, HwCg, has moved into winery ownership with the acquisition of Australian wine and beverage producer, the Irymple Group.

The deal includes a 12,000-tonne-capacity production facility in South Australia and Roberts Estate Wines in Victoria. Irymple is also a big player in fruit-based products, supplying global customers such as The Coca-Cola Company, Unilever and Campbell's Soups. There are no plans to change the company's current management structure, or trading pattern, and MD David Stevenson will continue to run the business.

According to HwCg's MD, Guy Young, the acquisition is part of his company's strategy for boosting its share of the Australian market. Just 3% of the company's turnover is currently Australian, compared to around 24% for Australia in the GB off-trade.

Young said: This is a very exciting time for HwCg and the Irymple Group, as we begin putting plans in place, which encompass the goals of both companies. The acquisition gives HwCg the opportunity to make an impact on the UK market in the Australia category, something we have have been striving to achieve for some time. This will help us to deliver a broader offering to our customers. It also strengthens our position in the UK, which will benefit all our supplier partners in the long term. We are looking forward to applying our expertise to a

new set of challenges.'

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