Economic Development Minister Brad Duguid, Molson Coors Chairman Andrew Molson and Mayor Rob Ford join members of the Toronto brewery to inaugurate the facility’s new $13-million packaging line. (CNW Group/Molson Coors Brewing Company)
The “state-of-the-art packaging line” at Molson Coors’ Toronto brewery cost the brewing giant $13.5 million, and it made sure to commemorate the investment and launch of the new line. As you’ll see in the photo provided to press by the brewery, both Ontario Minister of Economic Development and Innovation Brad Duguid and Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, both of whom we can only surmise enjoy the odd tipple, were on hand to break the proverbial Champagne bottle (or was it a Coors Light bottle?).
According to Molson Coors, the new line, which will initially be used to support its new “widemouth” bottle, was purchased and installed because of increasing consumer demand for new styles of packaging. Where they got this market research from is unknown, but I’d be curious to see the numbers.
“This major investment in the modernization of our brewery speaks to our commitment to innovation,” said Cathy Noonan, chief supply chain officer at Molson Coors Canada, in a statement. “We’ll be able to develop new products more effectively, so we can focus on creating industry-leading packaging formats for our Canadian consumers.”
The widemouth is, according to the big brewery, made of 100 per cent recyclable aluminum, and will initially be used for bottling Coors Light, Canadian and the 2012 release Coors Light Iced T. Molson Coors noted the wider mouth also provides a “smoother and enhanced drinking experience,” apparently forgetting that beer is meant to be poured out into a glass (despite the fact that most of its customers probably don’t follow this custom … so your editor is kind of full of it today).
Molson Coors also hinted there were other new packaging formats in the works. More on that as announcements are made, but let’s hope we’re not going to see the Molson Canadian tetra pack any time soon.
“Molson Coors’ continued investment in their Toronto operations is great news,” Ford said in a statement. “Today’s opening of the flexible packaging line will help to ensure the Molson Coors Toronto Brewery continues to be a fixture at one of Toronto’s busiest intersections, as it has been for over 50 years.”