Global alcoholic beverage distiller Pernod Ricard plans to set up a distilling factory in the country. Pernod Ricard is the company behind iconic brands such as Jameson, Absolut Vodka, Ballantines among others.
Chairman and CEO of European, Middle East and Africa regions Christian Porta, the confirmed that, Kenya is one of the four African countries that will benefit from increased investments in the shape of a distilling factory for the middle and down-stream consumers.
“We want to be in Kenya in a bigger way and use it to drive our market penetration within the East African region. We want to be closer to our consumers through this facility,” he said.
The new facility will boost the manufacturing industry which is inline with the Govt’s agenda as well as provide employment and training. The factory will distill, package and sale alcoholic drinks targeting the middle and lower categories of consumers.
“We have given ourselves a target of 18 months to put everything together and also to get local partners to drive this programme,” he said.
The firm says it will also play an increasingly bigger role in the fight against the sale of illicit and counterfeited drinks.
“We have had a meeting with the Kenya Bureau of Standards and agreed on a number of measures needed to address this matter,” he said. He announced that the firm the firm will introduce the diamond mark of quality in its drinks as one of its efforts to fight the problem. Each bottle will have the diamond mark of quality that allows consumers and authorities to trace its manufacturing history,” Paul-Robert Boulier CEO for Sub-Saharan Africa.
