Heineken Ireland
Credit: M.Minderhoud.

Dutch brewing company Heineken is reportedly planning to invest BRL865m ($186.2m) to expand its Ponta Grossa brewery in Brazil.

According to Reuters, Heineken is planning to invest in the brewery this year and next year, primarily focusing on the production of Heineken and Amstel brands.

Heineken Brazil CEO Mauricio Giamellaro was quoted by Reuters as saying: “We are bringing forward by one year all the investments of our strategic plan. Brazil is a key market for us. Basically, we are building a new brewery.”

Ponta Grossa brewing plant is one of the largest brewing facility in the Parana state of Brazil, considered as the primary market for the Danish company.

The company did not reveal many details about the expansion. However, the production capacity of the brewing plant will reportedly increase by 75%.

The company unveiled its expansion plan just a day after Ambev, a beer and soda producer in Brazil controlled by Dutch brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), announced its expansion plans.

Ambev, under the plan, will invest BRL2bn ($430m) to open a brewery, as well as a malting factory and a can producing unit in addition to premium beer production lines.

Last month, the supervisory board of Heineken announced the appointment of Dolf van den Brink as its new CEO.

It also announced the departure of Jean-François van Boxmeer, who served as the chairman of the executive board and CEO of the company for 15 years.

Boxmeer joined Heineken in 1984 as a management trainee. In 2001, he became a member of the executive board.

In 2005, Boxmeer was appointed as chairman of the executive board and CEO of Heineken.