Pursuit of excellence

The largest drinks company in Argentina has reached high levels of efficiency, of up to 100 percent, on its most recent complete hot-fill line. Here’s how.

In collaboration with Sidel, Cervecería y Maltería Quilmes – the largest drinks company in Argentina – has reached high levels of efficiency, of up to 100 percent, on their most recent complete hot-fill line. This complete, high-speed bottling solution produces, among other things, the Gatorade brand of isotonic beverages in PET containers, in compliance with PepsiCo’s quality standards. The new line offers advantages in terms of production flexibility and protection of the environment, particularly due to energy savings.

Quilmes has been operating in Argentina for over 130 years. The company started out in the beer business by opening their first brewery in the city of Quilmes, about 20 kilometers southeast of the capital, Buenos Aires. “Over the years, Quilmes has expanded across beverage categories by acquiring a carbonated soft drink business. This happened about 20 years ago, with PepsiCo’s exclusive franchise for production, distribution and marketing of the brand’s full line of beverages in Argentina,” explained Juan José Ferrer, Plant Manager at Quilmes. The company also participate in the water business through Eco de los Andes SA, the result of a joint venture with Nestlé Waters. “The company’s objective is to provide consumers with quality beverages and to take care of the environment. The investment in Sidel’s bottling line is perfectly aligned with this aim,” he adds.

Doubling PET production capacity with an integrated bottling solution