Asahi has appointed Paul Verdu as the MD of its Asahi Beer USA and Octopi Brewing operations as the pair work to integrate into one business unit.
Verdu (below) previously worked for Molson Coors, SABMiller, Constellation Brands beer division and most recently as president of Wisconsin Brewing Co. He will be responsible for the “combined business strategy and delivery from sales through to supply chain”, according to a statement.
“I’m thrilled to join Asahi at this pivotal moment, as we prepare for production of Asahi’s brands at Octopi, right alongside our … co-packing clients’ products,” he said.
Asahi Beer USA currently oversees its owner’s Asahi Super Dry lager brand as well as the Twisted Shotz RTD in the market. Octopi Brewing, which is based in Waunakee, Wisconsin and was acquired by Asahi last year, is in the process of scaling up to take on the production of Asahi’s beer brands, including Super Dry and Kozel, for North America.
The recently-purchased business is receiving a US$35m investment from its parent over a three-year period, to “enhance beverage production and packaging capabilities”. The investment commenced last year and the majority of the transformation is expected to be complete in the coming months, including a new bottling line.
Verdu added: “This multimillion-dollar investment at Octopi will help us to expand on our overall brewing and packaging capabilities so that we can better meet customer, consumer and employee needs.”
Earlier this week, trade association the World Brewing Alliance released research indicating that the beer industry delivered US$878bn to the global gross domestic product (GDP) in 2023.
