Production line at the Arco brewery

Filling even round the clock

The Arco brewery drinks sales achieve record heights

To some extent the almost tropical temperatures of the past weeks and months gave nature and therefore also the farming community a very rough time. The consequences range from a shortage of drinking water in some European towns and dried-up streams and rivers to completely dried-out fields which have ruined the farmers´ harvest or at the very least seriously reduced the yield. Brewery director Walter Edmaier told the "Landauer Zeitung" (Landau newspaper) that the Count´s Arco Valley brewery also had to contend with the heat wave and the long dry period on the Count´s estates. However there is also another side to the coin regarding this "problem".

A record number of visitors

Outdoor swimming-pools and leisure parks report a record number of visitors, it is difficult to find a free seat in a beer garden, the refreshment products industry is booming and the sales figures for ice-cream parlours and breweries are soaring sky high. Director Walter Edmaier and head brewer Erich Dillinger from the "Brauerei Graf Arco" (Count Arco Brewery) are pleased to report: "Our percentage increase for beer and soft drinks since the spring of this year is in double figures".
The two representatives from the Count´s brewery recounted that to some extent they were experiencing serious problems regarding empties attributable to the fact that people are keeping a greater supply of drinks at home due to the continuous hot temperatures and as a result more full and empty drinks crates are in circulation. "We would like to purchase additional empties but this company is also working to full capacity at present" explained Mr Edmaier.

Working round the clock

In order to cope with the large customer demand the workforce at the Count´s brewery is presently working every day from 4 a.m. in the morning until 10 p.m. at night and during the record month of June it was even filling round the clock. The head brewer recollects: "Otherwise we would not have been able to keep up". "If we had not received our new empty bottle inspector we would not be in a position to cope with the great demand" explained director Walter Edmaier.
The Count´s brewery invested 500,000 EURO in a new "empty bottle inspector" in the spring of this year. This machine checks after the bottle washer whether the bottle and the bottle thread are in perfect condition and whether the bottle is completely clean (inside and outside) using a camera system and infrared light. Head brewer Mr Dillinger confirmed that the old "inspector" would have been too slow for this record turnover and that the new state-of-the-art inspector, which can check some 40,000 bottles per hour, "makes it possible for us to still fulfil all our customers´ wishes".

The brewery takes a positive view of the heat

Mr Edmaier and Mr Dillinger explained that if turnover continues to increase "we will have to work a third shift and constantly fill round the clock". Director Mr Edmaier sums up as follows - even though the effect of the heat may be adverse for the Count´s estates it is favourable for the brewery. A wide range of innovations and renewals is also planned for the coming years such as a new building for the full containers with a loading hall. The director concludes "with these investments we can further increase our capacity and productivity".

Report taken from the "Landauer Zeitung" (Landau newspaper, Germany)