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Diageo, the UK-based alcoholic beverages giant, has inaugurated a new production line for its Smirnoff Ice brand at its industrial complex in Itaitinga, Ceara. The expansion makes the facility the company’s first proprietary plant in Latin America to manufacture products in the ready-to-drink (RTD) category.
According to a report in SuperVarejo, the new line represents an investment of R$30 million ($5.5 million), part of a broader R$280 million ($51.5 million) investment in the Ceará site over the past three years. The facility, which Diageo originally announced plans to build in 2019, also serves as the production base for the Ypioca cachaca brand.
Diageo expects to process 8 million litres of Smirnoff Ice at the site by the end of 2027, with the plant supplying approximately 70% of the brand’s canned product demand in Brazil. Previously, the product was manufactured via third-party partners.
Commenting on the move, Paula Lindenberg, president of Diageo in Brazil, said: “The expansion in Itaitinga is a fundamental step for us to lead the ready-to-drink category, which today is our largest growth front. Ceará becomes our strategic hub for the category in the region”.
Source: SuperVarejo / Isto E Dinheiro / Diário do Nordeste
