Samuel Smith & Son has announced that its ten-year-plus partnership with Premium Beverages will come to an end on June 30, 2017, citing increased competition in the sector impacting its ability to accommodate a third tier in the distribution chain.
Premium Beverages was founded by Coopers Brewery in 2003 to provide distribution for its beers outside of South Australia and imported brands including Thatchers, Sapporo and Kronenbourg nationally. At the same time, Coopers brought on Samuel Smith & Son to help service independent retailers and on-premise customers in the same states who wanted direct distribution, while Premium Beverages focused on other channels such as wholesale.
“We have really enjoyed the relationship and the commercial success of distributing Coopers and the agency beer brands they carry in the Australian market," said Nick Waterman, Managing Director of Yalumba, which owns Samuel Smith & Son.
“It was simply a matter of commercial reality, and our wish is for Coopers to continue to grow and remain a strong competitor to the publicly-owned brewers.”
Premium Beverages will now bring the distribution to those customers in-house. Coopers Managing Director Tim Cooper has assured that arrangements will be in place to ensure a smooth transition for customers.
“Coopers has enjoyed an excellent working relationship with Samuel Smith & Son over many years, spanning from the time of their national representation of our beers, before the establishment of Premium Beverages.”
“The strength of the bond between our family companies is highlighted by our collaboration on various projects over time, and I expect this bond will continue to flourish.”
Image: Yalumba Managing Director Nick WatermanShare the content
