Red Stripe Managing Director Luis Prata, says that the company’s Cellars Expansion Project (CERS) represents one of the company’s most important and extensive initiatives in recent history.

He was speaking to government officials, private sector representatives and other stakeholders who gathered to witness the launch of the Red Stripe Cellars Expansion at the Red Stripe Brewery in St. Andrew on Tuesday (March 28).

“In many ways, CERS, as we call it internally, represents this team’s passion and tenacity and drive to win. Without a doubt, CERS is one of the most important and extensive initiatives we have executed as a team, and I am extremely proud of this accomplishment. Beyond the capital investment of more than $2 billion, we poured a lot of time and expertise into getting it right. This took considerable collaboration, and I have to salute our local project lead Trecia Campbell-Sharpe, our Supply Chain Director, Nele Vanbeneden and the rest of her team for doing such a brilliant job of bringing this project to life,” he said. 

Expounding on the significance of the project to the company’s overall operational, sustainability goals, and its confidence in the Jamaican market, Prata noted, “This project represents another milestone on our innovation journey and our ambition to achieve greater efficiencies and increased productivity. However, it’s more than just an increase in capacity. As part of the HEINEKEN Company, we believe in brewing a better world, and the cellars expansion is taking us a step closer to realising our sustainability goals.”

“CERS is already allowing us to reduce the old horizontal tanks’ energy, water and chemical usage, ensuring that our operations have little to no negative impact on the environment. This investment is also about making bolder, more courageous moves, representing Red Stripe’s confidence in Jamaica,” he asserted.

Prata also noted that shortly after Red Stripe started the project, the world shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic. He shared that while other investors were holding back, they decided to press forward. “We had a strong belief that this was the right thing to do,” he said.

Keynote speaker at the event was Prime Minister Andrew Holness who said, “it is known worldwide that this (Red Stripe) is a Jamaican undertaking. It is part of our cultural legacy, a defining element of our country’s brand, and part of our intellectual property. For this reason, we have always acknowledged its value, so much so that HEINEKEN came on board to manage the brand as a stakeholder. Ultimately, this has maximised the value of the brand locally and overseas. I commend the company for its investment, and I commend you for your commitment to sustainability. In summary, great things are happening in the country.”

Red Stripe’s multi-billion-dollar CERS Project investment will facilitate a 34% expansion in beer production, improve operational sustainability, boost efficiency and safety and further mitigate hygiene risks. The increase in storage capacity will also strengthen the local supply chain, subsequently creating direct and indirect economic opportunities. The project also strengthens one of Red Stripe’s key pillars, sustainability, by reducing the brewery’s environmental footprint.

In addition to launching the Cellars Expansion, Red Stripe unveiled the company’s newly renovated corporate offices, known as ‘Red Stripe House’. Following the $250 million upgrade, Red Stripe House now features ultra-modern workspaces that foster creativity, collaboration and innovation, elements Red Stripe considers essential to unlocking the full potential of its team to maximise productivity and efficiency.

Read more on the Red Stripe Cellars Expansion Project at the links below:

Red Stripe’s Cellars Expansion Project is a ‘sign that the country is doing well’

Red Stripe gives nod to business confidence with launch of $2.2-billion expansion project

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