Dutch owner invests 20 million euro in Palm

Bavaria, which acquired Palm Belgian Craft Brewers a year ago, will invest 20 million euro into the modernization of its Steenhuffel-based brewery. The Dutch company did similarly, with 2.3 million euro, for its affiliate brand Rodenbach in Roulers.

“Time for an amber change”

Palm is the most popular Benelux amber beer, with 31.2 million consumptions annually and it will get a new packaging this month: more contemporary (cleaner, simpler) but with its typical elements (the Palm horse, laurel wreath) and the familiar colour combination (green-red). Its new slogan, “Tijd voor iets ambers” (Time for an amber change, with a pun on the similarity between anders and ambers – meaning change and amber), should empower this change.

At the same time, the new owner, Dutch brewer family Swinkels, will invest twenty million euro in its brewery, fermentation and storage facilities to help it grow within Bavaria’s global distribution network. “Over the past year, we have successfully introduced Palm Belgian Craft Brewers’ beers in about a dozen new countries. We need to target further growth, also for the Palm brand that can still strengthen its position in Belgium and the Netherlands, but also in the new export countries”, it said in a press release.

Improve Rodenbach’s sales as well

Palm Belgian Craft Brewers also relaunched every single one of its other beers as well: Rodenbach, Brugge Tripel and Cornet, which also meant huge investments. The Dutch owners paid 2.3 million euro to improve affiliate brand Rodenbach’s facilities in Roulers. Those will now contain a new filtration line, a new water treatment system and new drains.

The group wants to increase Rodenbach’s sales, which currently stand at 40,000 hectoliters, by 50 %.