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May. 29, 2020

Suntory Group Companies Rally Globally Amidst the COVID-19 Crisis

As the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the health, safety and livelihood of many millions of people, Suntory Group companies have stepped up as part of its vision of Growing for Good and Giving back to society to address this unprecedented global challenge.


“While the health and wellbeing of our 40,000 employees worldwide is paramount, we continue to ensure that supply of beverages is maintained and available to our customers,” says Tak Niinami, CEO of Suntory Holdings. “The dedication of our employees, especially those working in the frontline, to keep our products flowing is immeasurable, and we are proud of the efforts of our teams across the globe during this difficult time.”


“Ever since its founding, Suntory has been devoted to Giving back to society where we live and work, and this time it is no different. Suntory Group has been proactively engaging in our communities where it operates and is doing what the company can to support those in need,” he added.


Aspiring to grow to become a company that always benefits its communities, below are some of our Growing for Good initiatives responding to the pandemic in North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania—providing sanitizer, personal protection equipment (PPE), beverages and financial support to hospitals, medical workers and first responders; ensuring meals and necessary support extended to restaurant workers, bartenders and others in vulnerable communities hardest hit by shelter-in-place orders; among others.



North America


Beam Suntory


Commenced producing hand sanitizer in Clermont, Kentucky at the end of March with nearly 30,000 gallons already donated to first responders, medical professionals and other essential service providers in Kentucky and Illinois in addition to the Bernheim Arboretum and Research Forest in Kentucky. A quantity of this hand sanitizer is being set aside to protect its employees currently operating in its production environments. Find out more: Beam Suntory


Donated neutral alcohol, bottles and closures to its valued partner, the James B. Beam Institute at the University of Kentucky, where their on-campus pharmacy is compounding hand sanitizer for the university’s hospital.


Has been supporting bartenders and restaurant workers across the U.S. through various initiatives.


Donated a combined USD1 million in partnership with Southern Glazer’s to support the United States Bartenders' Guild (USBG) Foundation Emergency Assistance Program and the Restaurant Workers Community Foundation. Find out more: Beam Suntory


Donated a combined USD 100,000 along with its distributing partner Major Brands to the newly established Missouri Restaurant Association Workers Benefit Fund. Find out more: Beam Suntory


Donated more than 200,000 meals to restaurant workers in more than 20 US cities in partnership with the LEE Initiative Restaurant Workers Relief Program


Launched the Shift-Meals To-Go program and arranged more than 15,000 free meals for restaurant and bar employees, as well as pre-packaged meals for impacted families in the trade community.


Donated USD50,000 to the Bartenders Benevolent Fund and launched ‘First Shift Meals’ program to support Canadian hospitality workers. Find out more: Beam Suntory


Proudly supported IRONAID, a program of the IRONMAN Foundation raising funds and awareness for health-related causes, by donating more than 18,000 shirts to be made into non-sterile (and non-branded) face masks. These masks will be provided to COVID-19 hospital patients, senior care homes, and others in need during this time.


Hornitos tequila brand partnered with The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) to launch the #AyudaEnEspañol Initiative to provide critical, COVID-19-related resources in Spanish.


Pepsi Bottling Ventures


Made and distributed banners to more than 500 restaurants in North Carolina, advertising take-out services.


Suntory Flowers


Donated 2,000 stems of "Florigene Mooncarnation" to the local medical staff, police, fire departments, and NPO with the cooperation of flower designer Tu Bloom.


Europe


Beam Suntory


Beam Suntory Spain donated a combined €240,000 along with its joint venture distribution partner Maxxium Spain to support hospitals and nursing homes in Madrid and Segovia. Its Segovia distillery also donated alcohol-based sanitizing solution to the local health and emergency services in Segovia and Madrid. Find out more: Beam Suntory


Beam Suntory Germany donated €100,000 to the German Red Cross. Find out more: Beam Suntory


Courvoisier donated €20,000 to support health services in the Cognac region through the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac (BNIC).


Sipsmith donated 3,000 litres of neutral alcohol for hand sanitizer to Imperial College London and also partnered with the Drinks Trust to raise more than £40,000 to support impacted on-trade workers.


Beam Suntory Spain employees donated to Banco de Alimentos de Madrid's efforts to deliver food and essentials to families in need, which was matched by the company, for a combined donation of €21,000.


Auchentoshan distillery produced 2,500 liters of hand sanitizer to donate to local health services and community organizations. Find out more: Beam Suntory


Suntory Beverage and Food Europe


Donated more than a million containers of soft drinks to front line medical staff, emergency services, care homes and charities supporting vulnerable people in their local communities across Europe.


Donated supplies of personal protective equipment to local medical and care home facilities in France and UK direct from its factories.


Supported the building of thousands of ventilators in Spain by creating an essential component for ventilators using the 3D printer in our lab in Tordera.


Helping consumers get through tough times through free services launched by our brands across Europe (‘home workout’ videos by Lucozade Sport, ‘creative juices’ launched by Ribena, and ultimate ‘lockdown’ experience created with DJs by Schweppes).


Asia


Suntory PepsiCo Vietnam Beverages


Provided nutritious meals to vulnerable communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in 5 cities in Viet Nam and donated more than VND 7 billion (equivalent to approx. USD300,000) worth of free products and fund to provide medical equipment and beverages for those working in the frontline. It also plans to provide hand sanitizers and cloth masks for primary school pupils university students.


Suntory Garuda Beverages


Donated 2,000 hazmat suits and thousands of medical masks including N95 masks for health workers in 22 hospitals across Indonesia, provided free beverage products, Mountea and Good Mood, to more than 12 hospitals treating COVID-19 patients, and distributed tens of thousands of fabric masks to stores selling its products and over 20 schools throughout Indonesia. Find out more: Suntory Garuda Beverages.


Provided products to the local community and journalists affected by the COVID-19 pandemic through the Government's social assistance program (KSBB) and the Journalists Care Movement program. Find out more: Suntory Garuda Beverages


Suntory PepsiCo Beverage Thailand


Allocated a total of THB 6 million (equivalent to approx. USD 186,000) to support hospitals, families and communities in Thailand. It has donated funds and its products to the country’s 4 main hospitals and plans to provide cooked meals and relief bags to local communities as well as essential personal protective equipment to 5 additional hospitals for use by medical professionals.


Brand’s Suntory


Has provided Brand’s Essence of Chicken to hospitals for use by medical professionals, government officers and volunteers working in the frontline in Thailand, Myanmar, Taiwan and Hong Kong to boost their immunity to fight against the virus.


Beam Suntory


Beam Suntory India partnered with the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) and pledged a support of USD 150,000 which will be used to provide relief to thousands of restaurant staff and their families during the shutdown (Find out more: Beam Suntory). Beam Suntory India employees have also donated INR2,686,852 (equivalent to approx. USD 35,000) to the Rajasthan Chief Minister COVID-19 Relief Fund.


Beam Suntory Korea employees raised funds to donate 1,000 meals to local charity, Dail Community.


ASC Fine Wines


Donated RMB100,000 (equivalent to approx. USD 14,000) from the ASC Charity Fund to Shanghai Charity Foundation to source preventative gears for frontline medical personnel in Hubei Province, China. Find out more: ASC Fine Wines


Suntory (China) Holding Co., Ltd.


Donated a total of 60,000 boxes of drink bottles to Shanghai Volunteer Fund and Shanghai Philanthropic Fund.


Beam Suntory Spirits Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd.


Donated one bottle of Maker’s Mark and ROKU each to a total of 500 partner distributors.


Suntory Holdings


Will provide neutral alcohol produced in Suntory Spirits’ Osaka Plant to hospitals and healthcare facilities in Japan in order to meet the increasing demand of hand sanitizers, starting late April. Find out more: Suntory Global


Grants 100 million yen through “Sakimeshi” project which supports restaurant industry affected by the COVID-19.


Will donate aid from part of Ai Miyazato Suntory Ladies Open Golf Tournament 2020 prize money to Hyogo prefecture to support the expenses for purchasing PPE for medical workers.


Will donate 1,890 lunch boxes through DYNAC HOLDINGS CORPORATION and Izutsu Maisen Co., Ltd. to medical workers.


Oceania


Frucor Suntory


Donated more than $100,000 worth of its locally produced Simply Squeezed juice and smoothies to Hawke’s Bay frontline health workers and families.


Beam Suntory


Beam Suntory Oceania employees raised funds to donate more than 14,000 meals to people in need through a corporate donation matching program for OzHarvest in Australia and KiwiHarvest in New Zealand.