FDBusiness.com

Northern Ireland-based Whitewater Brewery Company has secured new customers in Spain, Japan and Russia as part of efforts to increase traction in international markets. This success follows an investment to build a new, state-of-the-art, brewing facility to support the company’s continued growth in the global craft beer market.

Invest NI supported the development of Whitewater’s new manufacturing facilities and has offered the company assistance towards its market development and job creation activities. The business will shortly invest in canning facilities in a bid to expand its export offering.

Welcoming the company’s progress, John Hood, Invest Northern Ireland’s Director of Food and Drink, says: “Craft beer is a growing segment of the global beer industry and Whitewater Brewery Company is a forward thinking family business, driven to maximise new opportunities in export markets. The support Invest NI offered towards its new manufacturing facility is enabling Whitewater to capitalise on the growing demand for speciality and craft beer. The business has benefited from in-market trade advice to make valuable contacts as well as recruitment support to gain the resources needed to implement its market development plans.”

He adds: “The new business secured in Spain, Japan and Russia is encouraging and indicative of the appetite for award winning quality from Northern Ireland across the globe. Innovation and market development remain crucial to the growth and survival of the food industry in Northern Ireland, as we continue to promote the pure, natural, quality of our local produce. Invest NI is committed to helping entrepreneurial food and drink companies like Whitewater achieve faster growth in their target markets.”

Whitewater owner, Bernard Sloan, says: “This is an exciting time in the history of Whitewater Brewery Company. Our new brewery was built so that we could keep up with the demand for our products and now we are also seeing encouraging results from our recent sales and marketing activities. Invest NI support is enabling us to fully execute our business development plans and work towards achieving our sales targets. Recruiting two new production staff and a Sales and Marketing manager is helping us gain greater traction in markets outside Northern Ireland. These new orders will help us build our profile across Europe and Asia.”

Invest NI support is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the Investment for Growth & Jobs Northern Ireland (2014-2020) Programme.

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Pictured (L-R): John Hood, Director of Food and Drink, Invest NI, and Bernard Sloan, owner of Whitewater Brewery Company.