Suntory’s mega $400m Swanbank drinks plant to provide 160 permanent jobs

With the capability to produce 180,000 cans and 36,000 bottles an hour, Suntory’s $400m plant promises to be a powerhouse for this Qld city’s economy.

Paul Woods, Site Operations Manager at the warehouse in the new Suntory drinks plant at Swanbank. Pics Adam Head

Global drinks giant Suntory Oceania’s $400m plant in Ipswich has hit full production and there is room for further expansion.

The 17ha carbon-neutral mega site in Swanbank has the capacity to produce 180,000 cans and 36,000 bottles an hour for the company, which is a subsidiary of Japanese based Suntory that has more than 40 brands including Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark, Hibiki Japanese Whisky, Canadian Club, -196, V Energy, Maximus and BOSS Coffee.

Ahead of the official opening on the plant on Monday, former Ipswich local and Suntory Oceania chief supply chain officer Ian Roberts said the two and a half year build of the giant plant saw more than 2000 people employed in construction.

Now in full operation, the plant has created 160 permanent jobs and is the largest investment of its kind by Suntory over the past decade.

“When others are pulling back, Suntory is forging ahead and to have Ipswich as the hub is amazing,” Mr Roberts said from Sydney.

“We have real aspirations to grow and the current 20 million case plant has been designed to more than double its size to 50 million cases so we’re set for growth.”

Suntory's popular BOSS Coffee drink.

The 24/7 plant features an automated storage retrieval system in a 30m high warehouse that can hold up to 80 million bottles or cans.

Mr Roberts said in the past Suntory had relied on its Auckland plant and third party providers.

But growing demand meant investing in a new state-of-the-art plant which will have end-to-end responsibility for its portfolio of premium spirits, RTD (ready-to-drink) alcohol beverages, juice, water, soft drinks, coffee, energy and sports drinks.

Mr Roberts said the company chose the Swanbank site because it was attracted to Queensland’s “growth agenda” including the Olympics.

“That set the scene for Suntory’s decision to look at Queensland,” he said.

“If you think about this Ipswich site there is really good infrastructure and from a logistics point of view it’s very central to service the rest of the country.

“It’s our only manufacturing site in Australia so it was really important that it was in a good spot. It fits in with the growth ambition in the state and the support we see for manufacturing in that sector.”

The City of Ipswich’s Gross Regional Product was $15.08bn for the year ending June 2024 and the Suntory plant will play a roll in increasing that figure.

Paul Woods, Site Operations Manager at the warehouse in the new Suntory drinks plant at Swanbank. Pics Adam Head

Mr Roberts said Suntory was the anchor development in the Swanbank precinct.

“At the moment we are the main landowners in that area but there are a number of other businesses looking at moving into the area,” he said.

“For us the location was perfect so we could get the size of plant we wanted for the future and also really help build out the infrastructure and welcome other industries to Swanbank.”

State minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training Ros Bates described the opening of the new Suntory facility as a landmark moment for Ipswich.

“Suntory Oceania’s new $400m facility at Ipswich is a strong example of the calibre of projects Queensland can attract, creating jobs and delivering a real boost to our economy,” she said.

Suntory recently announced a three-year partnership between Jim Beam and the Brisbane Broncos NRL and NRLW teams.

It has also formed a local partnership with Earthwatch Australia to ensure $100,000 of funding in 2025 to provide the Mizuiku water education program to South-East Queensland schools.

Originally published as Suntory’s mega $400m Swanbank drinks plant to provide 160 permanent jobs