Irish brewer Beamish & Crawford is to invest €7 million to replace its bottling facility which supplies the Irish market.
According to a report in the Irish Examiner, the new line will increase production to 500 bottles per hour compared with 180 on the old facility, when it is opened this November.
The line will be used to bottle the company's own brand of stout as well as licensed beers such as Holsten and Tennants.
"We are the only company in Ireland with a bottling plant, which is good news for the company and could lead to all sorts of bottling opportunities, not just for our existing business but for new export opportunities and contract packaging initiatives," said Beamish & Crawford managing director Alf Smiddy.
"We bottle Holsten, Tennants and Bass for the Irish market and we will be looking to expand that."
Smiddy added that other brands that the company brews and bottles, such as Miller, were enjoying double digit growth in the Republic and Northern Ireland. On top of that, the company also took over the sales and distribution of Scottish & Newcastle products for the Northern Ireland market last year, further boosting its production.
Currently the Cork-based brewery employs 160 people directly, with more jobs through outsourcing of distribution and logistics.
Beamish & Crawford is the oldest brewery in Ireland with a brand portfolio that includes Beamish Genuine Irish Stout, Beamish Red Irish Ale, Miller Genuine Draft, Carling Lager, Foster's Lager, Foster's Ice Beer, Kronenbourg and Scrumpy Jack Cider.