Message in a BOB-21 (bottle)

“Suitcase” Packaging: Molson Coors First to Market with Letico Automation

Molson Coors holds a strong market position in Newfoundland and Labrador, thanks to its loyal customer base, which traces back to the Newfoundland Brewery Ltd. founded in 1893. Molson Coors bought this brewery in 1962 and remained true to its faithful customer base, growing its presence throughout the province. The BOB-21 bottle, a signature of beer in Newfoundland, and mainstay for Molson Coors, was (and still is) a distinctive short necked bottle, washable and returnable, that provided economic advantage for brewers because of its ubiquity and reusability (reused 15 to 20 times), and which became a cultural icon.

Project summary

Letico provided management, engineering and commissioning services to ensure the new equipment worked seamlessly in a tight space, and that the changeover happened with little or no disruption. The project included a cartoner, conveyor and ancillary machinery.

Revolutionizing beer packaging in Newfoundland

Aluminum cans came into use in the mid-1980s. For brewers, cans provided more cost-effective transport, among other benefits. For customers, cans were convenient, but the packaging was unappealing, limited to dull 24-pack cardboard trays comprised of three 8-packs held together with plastic rings. As plastic rings fell out of favor, brewers looked for alternatives.

By the mid 2000s, mainland brewers started to package cans in cardboard “suitcases”, eliminating plastic-rings and making beer available in multiple sizes including 6, 8, 12 and 24 packages. Sales took off. Brewers took note and Molson Coors sought to be the first brewery in Newfoundland to offer this format.

To be first, Molson Coors needed to innovate. Their packaging line occupied precious floor space, to which new packaging machinery needed to be adapted, and time was of the essence. Achieving these goals required reliable partners, including Letico for project management, packaging layout and equipment design and automation.

Customer benefits

Partnership
Letico’s knowledge of corporate objectives and strong relations facilitated teamwork with the Molson Coors operations team.
Innovation
Creative solutions to add new equipment to an existing line.
Timely Execution
First-to-market delivery.

Safety
Compliance with the strictest food industry standards.
Efficiency and Reliability
Optimal installation with little or no disruption.

Challenge

To execute a timely transition to a new packaging format within limited floor space, adding a cartoner, conveyor and ancillary machinery to the existing packing line.

Context

Molson’s market analysis showed significant opportunity for adapting the lightweight “suitcase” packaging format, plus the benefit of being first to market. Floor space and budget were limited, only enough to retrofit the existing line, not build a new one. Molson’s called upon Letico to be part of the solution.

Solution

Letico worked with Molson’s team and its group of contractors to implement a new cartoner, conveyor and ancillary machinery, and to fit this equipment into limited floor space.

The upgraded line, once in operation, improved on the previous setup, ensuring Molson would have room to grow its market share for years to come.

(Photo credit : Molson Coors)

Letico's contribution

Letico was pivotal to the project’s success, providing expertise in three key areas:

Project Management

Supported preliminary design, cost estimation, and ROI planning.
Helped secure management approval and monitored costs to stay within budget.
Adjusted the timeline due to COVID-19, ensuring international teams were properly scheduled to avoid production delays.
Supervised installation, FAT/SAT tests, and managed final punch list items for timely project completion.

Packaging Line Design

Sourced solutions to fit the limited space.
Designed a flexible hybrid line capable of producing both bottles and cans.

Electrical and Automation Engineering

Planned and supervised equipment installation, removing obsolete systems.
Integrated new turnkey solutions with existing equipment, managing end-of-line systems not covered by the main contract.

Letico ensured the project was completed on time, within budget, and without production delays.