EBRD promotes efficiency and innovation at RG Brands Group

• The EBRD is lending €25 million to RG Brands Group
• Funds will help to expand the Group’s operation in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyz Republic
• Project to promote greater efficiency and innovation

The European Bank for reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is providing a loan of up to €25 million to support the investment programme and working capital needs of RG Brands Group (RG Brands), Central Asia’s leading beverage producer incorporated in Kazakhstan.

The loan will help RG Brands to expand its operations in Kazakhstan and the Kyrgyz Republic, and may be disbursed in Kazakhstan tenge, US dollars, euros or Kyrgyz som. The funds will go towards renewing RG Brands’ equipment, modernising the existing bottling and packaging lines, and installing an aluminium can production line and hot-fill bottling line. Part of the loan will also be used to establish a research laboratory and an innovation centre.

The project also envisages the rollout of about 800 cooling display units (that use 72 per cent less electricity) in retail outlets across the two countries. As part of the project, RG Brands will also install post-mix beverage preparation systems, which will allow the company to reduce plastic use by up to 70 per cent for beverages sold for immediate consumption.

In the context of the project, RG Brands will be aiming to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into its core business functions. The company’s staff will receive special training on AI in relation to data handling and analysis.

RG Brands is also planning to introduce change management training for the company’s 250 senior employees, half of which will be women. This inclusive approach will help to improve career growth opportunities for female employees.

The EBRD has invested almost US$ 12 billion (€10.2 billion) in Kazakhstan to date through 345 projects, making the country the largest and longest‑running recipient of EBRD investment in Central Asia.