Saku Õlletehas                NEWS RELEASE                      05/23/2002



INVESTMENTS TO CAN FILLING TECHNOLOGY



Saku Brewery Ltd has invested EEK 4 million (EUR 256,000)

in  upgrading its can filling technology. Improvements to

new  can  filling  equipment will allow  the  brewery  to

launch  the first domestic canned cider, a supplement  to

the Kiss line, already for the summer season.



Together  with  technological improvements,  the  brewery

will  implement  a new world-standard can,  which  has  a

narrower  opening.  In  addition,  multipacks   will   be

provided with a new fastening system that holds the  cans

from the middle and includes a handle.



With Estonia’s only can filling line, Saku Brewery is the

only  local producer of canned products. Under contracts,

the  company  makes canned products also for the  Latvian

and Lithuanian markets.



The  first to reach the market in new cans and multipacks

will  be Kiss, which will be launched in 0.5-litre  cans.

By  supplementing the product portfolio with canned cider

the  company expects to increase Kiss cider sales  by  30

percent per year versus 2001 total. Kiss will be followed

by  Rock  line  in  new 0.5-litre and  the  renewed  Saku

Originaal in new 0.5- and 0.33-litre cans.

The Estonian cider market grew over the last year by 30

per cent, amounting to 3 million litres at the year-end.

Per-capita consumption increased from 1.7 litres to 2.2

litres. Saku Brewery new line Kiss, launced in spring

2001, acquired 19 per cent of the market within nine

months and attained the second position.



Investment in can filling technology is part of the  Saku

Brewery’s  investment programme for 2001-2002,  which  is

aimed  at  ensuring an increase in capacities during  the

summer  season  and maintaining production quality.  Last

year  the  brewery invested in keg filling equipment  and

fermenting tanks. In spring investments were directed  at

upgrading  the  filling line for glass  bottles  and  the

conveyer system.



In addition to the domestic cider line Kiss, Saku Brewery

distributes  mineral  water  lines  Vichy  Classique  and

Montavit,   soft  drink  Zingo  and  is   the   exclusive

distributor of Pepsi Co’s Pepsi, Pepsi Max and 7Up.

Most of the company’s sales revenue results from the sale

of  self-produced beers, which have made Saku Brewery the

leader  of the local beer market. At present the  company

controls 48.5 percent of the Estonian beer market.





Kristina Seimann

PR manager

+372 6 508 303