Since Heineken acquired controlling stake of Red Stripe Beer in 2015 and returned production back to the brand’s Jamaican homeland in 2016, the company has embarked on an aggressive 10-year investment plan dedicated to building Red Stripe’s position as a global brand.

Red Stripe last year invested $16 million in a new, state-of-the-art production line dedicated exclusively to export markets. The investment boosts Red Stripe export production to 26,000 cases per day, over 5 million cases per year, and allows for future expansion of the brewery up to twice its current capacity.

“The changes at the brewery will have a significant impact in the U.S. market,” says Andrew Anguin, senior marketing manager, Caribbean Imports for Five Points Trading Company. “We are gearing up for an aggressive 2018 hyper-local growth plan in the U.S., concentrating efforts and resources against the greatest local market opportunities where current and high potential Red Stripe consumers live. The new hi-tech production line in Jamaica guarantees we can consistently deliver the best quality, freshest Red Stripe beer on a timely basis in the packs our consumers demand. This is critical to the future success of Red Stripe here and on the global stage.”

Heineken brought Red Stripe back to Jamaica.

Red Stripe is imported in the U.S. by Five Points Trading Company, Heineken’s new venture aimed at incubating a range of the company’s emerging global brands back in-house in the U.S., while utilizing the resources and expertise of the company’s established distribution network.

The new Red Stripe production line is powered by liquefied natural gas, significantly reducing the brewery’s fuel usage, the company says, which will result in a 6,000-ton annual reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The plan also accounts for positive growth of U.S. and global volume demand to increase local raw materials sourcing.