Captol Invest and Saimaan Juomatehdas join the Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry

The Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry has gained two new members on 21 August 2013 – Captol Invest Oy and Saimaan Juomatehdas Oy. Before this, the last time a company joined the Federation was in 1991, when Pirkanmaan Uusi Panimo – PUP Oy (now Nokian Panimo) became a member. In addition to Captol Invest and Saimaan Juomatehdas, the members of the Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry are Oy Hartwall Ab, Nokian Panimo Oy, Olvi Oyj and Oy Sinebrychoff Ab.

The Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry promotes the interests of producers of beer, cider, long drinks, soft drinks and mineral waters in Finland. The beer sales of its members account for over 90 per cent of the Finnish beer market. 

“Now that new members have joined the Federation, it represents an even larger share of the Finnish beer market. These reinforcements will significantly aid our efforts to safeguard the interests of the brewing industry. It has been delightful to see how the growth in the number of microbreweries and their volumes in recent years has increased the diversity of Finnish beer culture,” says Elina Ussa, Managing Director of the Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry.

The Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry was established on 1 November 1902 in Helsinki. Over the decades, the Federation has participated in many heated debates about beer on topics such as beer taxation and prohibition, the sale of medium-strength beer in grocery stores, the alcohol content of beer and the rules of advertising. The brewing and soft drinks industry has a storied history. It has developed into one of the most important sectors of the food industry, and Finnish beer has become a highly appreciated and socially accepted beverage that is enjoyed in good company, on both ordinary days and festive occasions.

Breweries of all sizes face the same challenges in safeguarding their interests

Captol Invest Oy is a Finnish-owned group whose fields of business include brewing, restaurants and beverage imports and wholesale in Finland. The group includes the Seinäjoki-based brewery Mallaskosken Panimo and Servaali Oy, one of Finland’s largest private importers of alcoholic beverages, with an annual import volume of over 10 million litres of brewery products. Mallaskosken Panimo was established in 1998 and brews more than 500,000 litres of beer per year, which makes it one of Finland’s largest microbreweries.

“All breweries face the same challenges in safeguarding their interests, regardless of their size. The greatest problem created by Finnish alcohol policy is that it shifts alcohol consumption from bars and restaurants to homes. Private imports of alcohol by travellers are out of control, posing a threat to both breweries and the restaurant business,” says Teemu Lehto, CEO of Captol Invest.

Saimaan Juomatehdas Oy is part of a family company that has deep roots on the shores of Lake Saimaa. The beverage company has a brewery in Mikkeli and also brews beer at the Bruuveri brewpub in Helsinki, where customers can sample the brewmaster’s innovative experiments. The brewing company has grown at a rapid clip after 2011, when it launched its Marsalkka product family nationwide. Its annual production volume has doubled every year and is now close to one million litres.

“In recent years, the brewing industry has been put in a particularly tight spot. The government is constantly imposing new limitations – this increases the need to join forces to safeguard our interests. The views of our industry must also be taken into consideration in decision-making,” says Pertti Oksa, Managing Director of Saimaan Juomatehdas.

Additional information:
The Federation of the Brewing and Soft Drinks Industry
Managing Director Elina Ussa, tel. +358 (0)45 269 7711
www.panimoliitto.fi, www.kohtuullisesti.fi
Follow us on Twitter: @panimoliitto

Saimaan Juomatehdas
Managing Director Pertti Oksa, tel. +358 (0)50 055 5366
www.saimaanjuomatehdas.fi

Captol Invest Oy
CEO Teemu Lehto, tel. +358 (0)400 851 546
www.captolinvest.fi