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Global drinks company sees growth in grapes This week the drinks industry sees the launch of Neqtar, a UK based company that develops and supplies wine, fruit and vegetable juice products to the global market. The company was formed when UK wine importer, HwCg, acquired Australian-based wine, fruit and vegetable producer and supplier, SDS. Neqtar imports wine from all key wine growing countries, supplying major UK retailers, including Tesco, ASDA, Sainsbury's, Waitrose, Majestic Wines and M&S. Neqtar also supplies global beverage manufacturers such as Coca-Cola with patented vegetable and fruit juice products. The launch of Neqtar will allow the company to become a bigger player in the UK wine market and develop drinks products in other categories and markets. Wine sales in the UK have grown 25 per cent over the past five years and consumers now spend more on wine than beer in the off trade. The UK market is the biggest in Europe and is predicted to continue in strong positive growth. Neqtar is well placed to maximise on these trends; its biggest customer, Tesco, has 31 per cent of off trade wine sales. The fruit and vegetable arm of the business will allow Neqtar to expand into the UK soft drinks market, which is currently worth £12.5 billion and growing at 6 per cent value and 5 per cent volume, with health drinks accounting for much of the growth. The global market for these products is substantial, with Neqtar already operating in Japan and the US markets. Neqtar is a privately owned company managed by Guy Young, as chief executive officer, and Jim Furze, as chief operations officer. David Stevenson, based in Australia, will assume the role of managing director for Neqtar in Australia and will sit on the Neqtar Board. Furze and Young met in 1999 when their respective wine importing companies, Hedley Wright and Castle Growers, merged to form HwCg. Together they have made a significant impact on the UK wine market, developing a number of successful wine brands, particularly from France where premium burgundy brand, Blason de Bourgogne, has achieved sales of 100,000 cases last year. They now aim to extend their expertise to the development of Australian brands and drinks products outside wine, with specific interest in the burgeoning health drink sector. Commenting on the launch Young said: "Creating Neqtar places us in line with industry changes and market trends and provides us with increased muscle to play a key role in these large and growing drinks markets. Our customers are increasingly asking for suppliers to provide a global portfolio and we have responded to this. Neqtar allows us to grow the portfolio and offering even further, with our priority being to develop new wine brands from Australia for the UK market. Note to editors: Neqtar is a wine and beverage company incorporating HwCg Wine and Beverages UK and SDS Wine and Beverages Australia, it has a turnover of 50 million. Through HwCg, Neqtar supplies over 2.5 million cases of wine (9 litres) to the UK market. Neqtar is the largest exporter of vegetable concentrates in the Southern Hemisphere.
Date: 27th February 2006
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