Company still months away from resuming production
NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The Bahamian Brewery & Beverage Company will focus on its Budweiser and Anheuser-Busch brands to make up for the loss of almost 50 per cent of its revenue stream in the wake of Hurricane Dorian.
The brewery sustained significant damage to its Grand Bahama operations.
Gary Sands, Bahamian Brewery’s general manager for Nassau and the family islands told Eyewitness News Online: “Right now we are in the midst of cleaning up. It’s just very tedious at this point but we are to the point right now where we are almost ready to start dismantling some of the equipment and start putting them aside in preparation for the new equipment.
“That is still a ways out but we need to start making preparations in advance fo when the machinery does come in to be ready and not waste any time when it arrives.”
Sands added: “Our time line is still six to eight months before we resume production again but in the main time we resume business in Freeport, a make shift operation.
“We are rebuilding the liquor store. Our distribution is up and running. We are serving accounts with our Anheuser-Busch, wines and spirits and also the cigarettes that we represent so that’s a positive.”
Mr. Sand said while the numbers were still not yet confirmed, Bahamian Brewery had suffered an estimated $8-$10 million in damages.
According to Sands, the Bahamian Brewery product line which consists of Sands Beer, Sands Light, Strong Back Stout, TripleB Malt and High Rock Lager, represented just under 50 per cent of the company’s revenue stream.
“I would say that the Bahamian Brewery product line that we produced roughly represented a little less than 50 per cent of our revenue stream,” he said.
“We are now gearing up towards concentrating towards the other side of our portfolio which is AB & Beverage Wine and Spirits and cigarettes to make ups for that.”
Commonwealth Brewery has been distributing the Budweiser brand and a few other ABInBev brands in the Bahamas for roughly four decades before Bahamian Brewery seized the distribution contract back in 2015.
Sands said: “We have reallocated everyone from Abaco and repositioned them here in the market to help us with the different challenges and goals. We have to try and increase our revenue in other streams.
“Right now we are holding on to all of our employees. If they can paint we will give then a paint brush to paint. If they could nail and screw a two by four up to help with something that is what they will be doing. We are definitely trying to keep everyone onboard,” he said.
The company has roughly 150 employees, with some 50 to 60 people working on Grand Bahama.
