In 2006, the family owned logistics powerhouse Linfox came together with brewing giant Lion to create Bevchain - an “industry based logistics solution”. Bevchain was developed to be a dedicated logistics company for Lion’s lengthy list of beer brands, wines and ciders. But more importantly the organisations had the vision to create an independent company that would act as a supply chain consolidator for other customers in the beverage industry. The model was based on Linfox’s expertise in operational execution and Lion’s massive beer volume, providing the scale thatwould allow BevChain to attract other customers who would be able to leverage this volume. And that was where it all started.
Nearly 10 years on, Bevchain now provides the opportunity for its additional 25 customers to capitalise on the scale that Lion’s bulk beer volume brings to the network. Some of these customers include Brown Brothers, RedBull, Think Spirits, Bacardi, Diageo, Schweppes, Island2Island, Fine Wine Partners, Campari, William Grant & Sons, Asahi, McWilliams and Suntory, as well as a growing portfolio of craft brewers along with Woolworths and Coles, who BevChain provide secondary freight services for their liquor stores and DC’s.
Kylie Fraser, BevChain CEO states: “Our customer stable is something here at BevChain we are very proud. We work hard every day to ensure that we are not only providing a consistently high service offering but also working with our customers to create value across their supply chain”.
In a nutshell, BevChain has been able to consolidate customer volumes under a shared infrastructure and by aggregating product volumes from a number of manufacturers it’s enabled us to provide a more cost effective distribution network for the beverage industry, which is standardised, agile and consistent.
“It has become a very strategic and innovative business to maintain an industry integrated model,” says Kylie. “We have to be the leader in the beverage space and always strive to be doing things better and quicker. We’re always seeking to improve our methods to provide the best service we can.”
Although dealing with the beverage industry has provided Bevchain with a unique set of challenges, Kylie admits that it has its perks as well. “The thing about the beverage industry in particular is that our customers are incredibly passionate about their products. We have a really fun and innovative portfolio of customers who just want to share their brands and creations with the country and we play a part in that happening and that’s pretty cool,” she says.
Kylie adds: “the first 10 years have been amazing and I am so excited about what the future may look like for our business. The beverage industry changes and moves on a daily basis and I look forward to ensuring that the supply chain and BevChain is at the forefront of that”.
With Bevchain’s innovative programs taking care of consolidation complexity, the company can consistently offer its customers a wide distribution network with competitive prices. And, people all over the country are given the opportunity to pick up their best-loved beers, wines and spirits or perhaps even find themselves a new boutique brew to enjoy.
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