News briefs: San Miguel, Scottish & Newcastle and Orangina

Possible resignation at Scottish & Newcastle After almost five years in charge of one of Europe's leading brewers, Scottish & Newcastle's chief executive Tony Froggatt is expected to soon announce his departure from the company, according to UK press reports. The Daily Telegraph newspaper said that Froggatt had previously suggested he would spend no more than five years in the post. With this milestone set to be reached by May next year, the paper added that the chief executive might soon part from the role. The possible resignation is expected to fuel further uncertainty over the future of the brewer, which has been increasingly linked to a possible sell off to rival brewer Carlsberg. The two companies are currently equal partners in the successful Eastern European joint venture Baltic Beverages Holding. San Miguel targets Chinese soft drink demand San Miguel, Southeast Asia's largest food and beverage manufacturer, is to redevelop one of its Honk Kong breweries to tap growing demand for soft drinks and whisky in the Chinese market, according to local media outlets. Unnamed sources quoted in the Phillipine's based newspaper The Enquirer have suggested that the changes could be in place by the fourth quarter of this year at a cost of about $1 million (€700,000). The group has already announced earlier in the year that it will close its brewery in Yuen Long at the end of the month as a result of high operating costs. The potential strategy could therefore come as a significant boost to the group's brewery operations, after it revealed plans in July to diversify into mining, power, infrastructure and property to boost growth. The radical move will cost an estimated $780m (€552m). Orangina keener on juices and energy drinks Soft-drinks manufacturer Orangina has this week announced the €178m acquisition of the Pulco fruit and Sport concentrate brands from Marie Brizard. A spokesperson for the company told BeverageDaily.com that the move would allow it to strengthen its position in the fruit drink market, which currently represents 70 per cent of its sales in France. The brand will join a growing range of leading juice-based drinks in the group's portfolio in the country, which includes Schweppes, Oasis and Trina. Orangina added that the move would also allow it to enter the burgeoning sports nutrition market where it currently has no presence.

News briefs: San Miguel, Scottish & Newcastle and Orangina

In the latest news roundup, San Miguel adds some fizz to its Hong Kong operations, Scottish & Newcastle's chief executive may be about to call time on his tenure, and the Orangina group makes an energetic acquisition.

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