Australia: Strong sales of premium beers including Sparkling Ale and Pale Ale contributed to a 28.9 % increase in interstate sales and to a strong profit result for Coopers Brewery, the only remaining family-owned brewer in Australia. Coopers Brewery posted a net profit of A$9.48 million for 2003-04, up 5.3 % on the previous year. Sales revenue was up from A$83.7 million to A$92.6 million.

Coopers managing director Tim Cooper said national beer sales increased in volume by 16.9 %, in stark contrast to industry-wide sales, which fell by 1 %. Coopers now has about 2.6 % of the total beer market and about 15 % of the fast-growing premium market. Overseas sales improved 14.2 %. "Sales volume for home brew dropped 12.8 per cent on last year as a result of the maturing market," Dr Cooper said. "The entry of the two major Australian brewers into the home brew market also had an impact."

The company's capital expenditure was about A$7 million and Dr Cooper said this would likely be matched this year. Last's year's outlays included buying 1.8 hectares of land next to its Regency Park property and two fermenting vessels, significantly increasing keg numbers and installing a new computer system. More kegs would be added this year, plus another two fermenters and a $3.5 million bottle filler which would eventually turn over 1100 bottles a minute.

By March, Coopers' production would have increased about 60 per cent – to 44 million litres a year – since the company's 2001 move from its historic Leabrook site to the $45 million Regency Park plant.

Dr Cooper said beer sales had continued to grow at almost 20 per cent for the first six months of 2004-05. A final $7.06 million payment had repaid in full – seven years early – an $8.3 million State Government loan to help move to the Regency Park site. Dr Cooper said the company had reduced its debt from a peak of about $40 million to about $12 million. Premium labels are growing rapidly and will soon represent more than 15 per cent of the $4 billion Australian beer market.

Lion Nathan's Australian brewing arm, which posted a 6.8 % increase in before-tax earnings to $352.9 million for the year to September 30, is set to begin brewing Heineken this month and already sells Beck's, James Squire, Corona and Guinness under license.

Foster's Group's CUB subsidiary, which sells beer and pre-mixed products, grew profits 9.5 per cent to $520.1 million before tax for the year to July.

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