The Australian wine packager Vinpac International and premium cork specialist V&L Australia Pty Ltd (VLA) have signed a joint venture that will give Vinpac the exclusive rights to VLA Corks.
It is expected that well in excess of 100 million VLA Corks will be supplied in the first year for domestic and export bottlings of Australian wine, with a retail value of approximately $A1.2 billion.
Vinpac International’s general manager Reuben Summerell said: “To be a world benchmark bottling company also entails being a supplier of world class packaging materials. We consider VLA to be an industry leader in terms of cork quality and performance. Over the past two decades Australia has proven itself internationally in terms of wine quality and value for money. It’s now up to companies like Vinpac International to consolidate the Australian industry’s success by becoming the world’s best wine bottlers to match the success of our wine producers.”
Vinpac International is a subsidiary of Fosters Group Limited, and its decision to merge its operations began four years ago.
Vinpac’s cork sales and operations manager Luke South said: “Vinpac International’s review of operations and market conditions indicated VLA was strongly preferred, as its culture and product, VLA Corks, consistently met, and indeed exceeded, Vinpac’s exacting standards.
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By GlobalData“Further, this deal provides an exciting opportunity for us to set new benchmarks for product quality, customer service, supplier assured delivery and bottling expertise. The merger in operations has created important synergies and allows new economies of scale”, he said.
VLA is a subsidiary of Vasconcelos and Lyncke Portugal. Its business development manager Lisa Roberts said: “Providing the best VLA Corks through Australia’s, and arguably the world’s, leading edge bottling company will our further increase our commitment to small and medium-sized wineries. This deal is not only important for both companies, but will generate increasing benefits for our existing and all our future clients.”
VLA staff will join the integrated team to operate from Vinpac International facilities as of the 1st of September 2003 and will utilise Vinpac’s distribution network for the VLA Cork brand.
