An innovative ‘green’ brewery, a music festival and a social media campaign to find ugly pets were among the winners of the Society of Independent Brewers’ Brewing Business Awards 2009, announced yesterday at a presentation in London.

The Awards, now in their fourth year, celebrate the business development skills and entrepreneurial flair of SIBA members. Last night, 16 brewers were recognised for their achievements in areas such as customer service, marketing, innovation and, in a category introduced this year, environmental endeavour. The 2009 Overall Winner’s title went to Wye Valley Brewery who, in the words of the judges, “demonstrated a clear sense of vision, backed by excellence in implementation and a skill for creating maximum impact for their initiatives.”

Freedom Brewery won the Best Sponsorship category, sponsored by Croxsons, for creating ‘Freedom Heart Fest’, a three-day festival in association with Heart FM. Oliver Harley, Sales Director, was delighted to hand over the award on the award night.

A highly commended award in the same category was also awarded to Wood Brewery for their launch of Air Ambulance Air which donated to charity for each bottle sold.

Beer writer Pete Brown, one of the experts on the judging panel, said, “The local brewers represented here are living proof that success can be achieved without a large chequebook. All the entries showed creativity and resourcefulness in everything from brewery design to sponsorship, and choosing the winners from this very strong field wasn’t easy. With talent and determination like this driving our local brewing sector, it’s no wonder that it’s enjoying growth while the overall beer market is in decline.”

Julian Grocock, SIBA chief executive, added, “The Awards showcase the entrepreneurial skills that are just as important as brewing ability in building a successful brewery, and it is pleasing to see that both the number of entries and their standard has risen again this year.”

Freedom Brewery's own press release can be found at:

http://tinyurl.com/yl7cyy9

Their website is http://www.freedomlager.com

Oakleaf Brewing Company, Hampsire, is celebrating after their beer, Hole Hearted, was determined to be the Champion Bottled Beer at the recent SIBA (Society of Independent Brewers) award ceremony. The beer, housed in a Croxson mould, is powerful, floral and fruity and surprises with every mouthful.

Managing Director, Dave Pickersgill, was on hand to accept the award, and was clearly quite chuffed to be walking away with the award.

Croxsons are extending their congratulations to Oakleaf for their success and wish Dave and the team all the best for next years award.

Oakleaf Brewing can be found at www.oakleafbrewing.co.uk

<Croxsons & Korked launch the screwcap with a 100% predictable oxygen transfer rate in the UK.

There is a dedicated page for Korked, and it can be found here. Click here

Croxsons now stock and are promoting polylaminate capsules.

The increase for demand for Tin from developing economies such as China and India have seen the prices charged for tin capsules increase markedly, in excess of 3 times over the past 5 years.

We already have a lot of customers moving towards Polylaminates as an alternative. The concesus is that they provide the same quality look and feel, just without the expense. They are also more environmentally friendly compared to tin versions.

Because of this demand, Croxsons have taken into stock black, silver and gold, all with tear-tabs. For more bespoke solutions, we offer printing and hot foil stamping on the sides, embossing, printing and hot-foil stamp on the top of the capsule.

Croxsons natuerally offer the corks alongside the capsules and glass, with despatch for the same distribution centres to minimise transport cost and 'green miles.'

For more information, please contact either Oliver Hartley (oliver@croxsons.com) or John Johnston (john@croxsons.com).

Croxsons, established in 1872, has embarked on a rapid rebranding exercise in recent months. The company, formally known as Wm Croxson & Son Ltd, but is more often referred to as simply Croxsons. The desire was to represent this through every form of media, ultimately leading to a new logo.

The simple graphic is far removed from the very traditional scroll that Croxsons has used since the inception of the company in the 19th Century, as a bottle washing company. Tim Croxson, Operations Director, comments that “we needed a corporate look that would better represent us as a group of companies. We are the leading packaging supplier, and whilst we don’t want to forget where we have come from, it was time to take that move as a group that is so much more than just glass bottles, glass jars and closures.”

Croxsons is using “working for you” as the main driver behind the change and this is displayed as an integral part of the new design, with a small graphic representation of two bottles and a jar. “Working for you is an excellent way of stating what we do,” states Tim Croxson, “it tells the client that we do so much than just supply packaging. We work with and for the customer to develop conceptual ideas, to develop a total package design from new product development for glass, closures, decoration, labelling, we also offer contract filling. We want to free the customer to do what they do best: produce and sell their product.”

James Croxson, Chairman, when asked for his opinion, stated that “although the scroll represented our exceptional involvement and history in the packaging industry, it was time to take the group forward and prepare it for the next century of years. It has been a privilege to oversee this essential time in the development of the group and I am confident that the group is well placed to seize all current and future opportunities as we continue to grow both in size and products and services offered.”

For more information on how Croxsons can work for you, contact Tim Croxson, by simply emailing tim@croxsons.com or calling +44 208 337 2945.

James Croxson was offered the opportunity to speak at the Glass Action Day, in conjunction with WRAP. Attending were people representing the whole supply chain in industry, from manufacturers, to recyclers, to customers and retailers.

The full text of his speech can be found below.

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Good Morning! I am James Croxson, Chairman of Croxsons. Let me just give you a brief background on Croxsons and myself as there will be some wondering who exactly is this dashing chap with silver locks!

Croxson is a fourth generation family run company that was founded in 1872, that was a mere 135 years ago!

It was my grand-father who started the company as a wine merchant but also as a bottle washing company.

I joined the company as a fresh faced 16 year old, 40 years ago, I know that my sons will comment that I look as if I have been there a lot longer. The company was still washing bottles when I started collecting the empties from Harrods.

Nowadays, there is not a bottle washer to be seen, and we are fully a global packaging organisation, with operations throughout the UK, Australia and New Zealand, supplying amongst others, the two biggest drinks company’s in the game. We supply a package to the customer that includes bottles, closures and decoration.

Our suppliers range from the biggest glass manufacturers in Europe to the small, bespoke manufacturers who specialise in small runs. This stands us out from all other UK manufacturers; it offers us flexibility and quick response times, essential to keeping our customers happy!

Our suppliers face various issues, and as a result so do we. As you all know there is a global bottle shortage, caused by increased demand and lack of investment by the larger manufacturers. The US market has increased its wine consumption by 500m bottles just in the last 12 months. This increase together with lack of investment has caused a huge shortage.

As a result of this lack of supply to customers, the unmentionable PET is beginning to be chosen over glass. This is not because of it is any more environmentally clean, as it isn’t as we know. Glass is eternal; it can be re-used and re-used time and time again.

With oil approaching US$100 a barrel, no company wants to force through large increases, but this is becoming a reality. Supermarkets will end up paying as will the end consumer.  I suppose that we are in a better position than manufactures in that respect, as we can often switch supply to avoid the worse.

Early determination of contracts by customers is a game which all manufacturers play but can tie in the manufacturer not only in pricing structure, over a multi-year period, but also production commitments. The glass manufacturer is not shielded against abnormal increases in raw materials and energy costs. It is the other customers who have smaller, individual runs who pay for these prices, again creating this imbalance between the biggest customers and everyone else. One manufacturer we deal with is currently about to sign a global contract for a 20 year contract. I have done 5 year contracts for over a billion bottles, but never even thought of a 20 year deal.

One of our greatest assets is flexibility. We often do a production run of just 25,000 units, be it jars or bottles. The lack of choice in the traditional sense, limits customers creativity and forward thinking.

The lack of capacity means that manufacturers will struggle to hit forecasts accurately 100% of the time, I know this, we have been hit badly when we have been dropped at the death, because someone shouted louder. If we are in this boat, when we produce ½ billion bottles worldwide, how does the smaller buyer react and feel? I know that UK and European based mineral water bottles will agree that reliability has been patchy at best. As a result there is a lot more of water in PET. Once a customer changes to PET, it is very difficult to get them to change back.

Even if all the above are fulfilled, all that can be undone by quality issues. We have had glass delivered to customers which clearly has not gone through any automated QC checks. In my belief and experience, this should never happen, and whilst this is rare, quality of service is just an important. Customers want to know if there is an issue before it becomes critical not at point of unloading the lorry.

Our customers are also facing pressure from retailers to provide not only BRC accreditations but also environmental creditability. This can either take the form of light-weighting, but can also include carbon foot-printing and off-setting.

When trying to think of examples of how we have collaborated with customers and suppliers, be it glass or closure, it was difficult to narrow down to just three.

We worked with Diageo in New Zealand to re-design the packaging for their pre-mixed Gin & Tonic drink. In Australia and New Zealand, light-weighting is not thought off either in terms of cost effectiveness and environmental impact. We pushed through a 6% lighter bottle, taking out un-necessary weight, providing a more cost effective solution. Although the figures are not huge, it is starting somewhere with a company and a culture that is far away from our own thinking.

When asked to design a new bottle for 42 Below, for their new product a rum based drink, we started from the ground up, working with the manufacturer, discussing how light could we go, without compromising the integrity of the empty glass through shipping, and the end product too the off and on trade. The customer was delighted with the 15% saving we created, as well as enhancing their image as a forward thinking brand.

Concentrating more on the homelands as such, we have worked with one of the biggest cider producers here in the UK, to create a cider bottle that is much, much lighter than their current design. It required discussion with the manufacturer, as it was directly replacing their existing, heavier bottle. Discussing with the two, and various end customers, lead to the conclusion that we could deliver this project, providing guaranteed supply with acceptable pricing matrix. The percentage cut in glass was 24%, and this was delivered by not reducing the capacity of the bottle, and needed no change parts for the customer.

This brings me on to the future. Where is it going?

If I can base it on the three “R” ‘s.

Reduce: in terms of manufacturing, it is important to not only offer light-weighting as an option, but to push it through, to actively encourage it. When mould-sets come for renewal, that is an ideal time to discuss with your customers. This concept is here to stay, so lets be leading it rather than being pushed by it.

To our customers, we know our skill set, you know yours, lets be equal partners to make it work.

Re-use: I don’t think that we will be back to returnable bottles, washing again, well, considering where we as a company have come from, I certainly hope not! The principle of returning bottles though can be applied to recycling.

We need to increase the amount of recycled glass that is collected here in the UK, this needs Governmental help. The consumer needs to be educated, at grass roots, at primary school level, that recycling is key. Kids are, I think such a great resource. I remember my youngest son coming home and persuading us to collect aluminium cans for recycling, and milk foils to raise money for Guide Dogs for the Blind. This stays with me even today, when both my sons and daughter-in-laws are expecting their first child.

The less glass we have to make, the better for the environment. Glass manufacturing is naturally a resource intensive process, but we are Croxsons have taken a step to try and counteract this. As of this month, we, as a company, are completely carbon neutral. Investing in sustainable forestry, locally here in the UK, means that we off-set, over and above, our carbon footprint. Whilst this step is not going to save the environment, stop the ice caps from melting or reduce greenhouse gases, it is something that we can do as a company
As a quite well know retailer quips, “every little helps.” What can you do, as an individual, a family, an organisation, a town, a country?

There is some industry news that I can formally say, in 2009, the world’s biggest glass furnace will be going live. This will be shortly followed by an exact replica following suit. This increase in capacity should help ease the shortages that we are currently facing. Naturally, we at Croxsons, will be trying to secure as much as possible for our customers, as we know that this is an important factor.

In Conclusion:

A thought for you all, 5 years ago 500 million milk bottles were purchased, filled with milk and delivered to your door. The figure now is down substantially because the supermarkets have persuaded everyone that the milk man is almost dead. I would expect most of you will have a plastic bottle in your fridge filled with milk.

I fear that if we continue to let our business decisions be ruled by shareholder’s rather than what is the best choice for our customers, we will continue to lose business to PET, as at least it can supplied. The fact that it is being chosen over glass, despite big price differences and lack of green image, should be a warning to us all. After all, there were those what said screw-caps for wines would never catch on as it cheapens the image of the wine. I really hope and pray that the same principle cannot be applied to glass vs. PET.

I was describing my staff recently and this sums up what is so right, but at the same time so wrong in the industry. what singles out success is passion. These are people who love what they do, love their products, love delivering good service and almost relish working long hours for little financial reward. It proves that you can't go into business just to earn a living; you have to be driven by a desire to source, sell and service. This latter factor is so important for long term growth and viability, if we as the glass industry, get away from this, and chase short term profits, there is danger for us all.

Glass has been over inflated, and we have probably had it too easy and dare I say, slow to react to change. This is not a systematic attack of glass as a product, but lets use this as an opportunity as a springboard to change, lets be proactive. Lets beat customers to the punch, lets be suggesting and dictating change. Lets build relationships across the industry, between manufacturers, investing time and people power to safeguard this industry, to safeguard jobs and to safeguard what has been a strong British industry.

Thanks you Ladies & Gentleman for your time and your ears. I hope you enjoy the rest of the day.