Craft beer brewing company Moa Group has enjoyed a 95 percent sales increase since making changes to its sales and distribution structure, chief executive Geoff Ross says.
The volume of its beer sales rose 95 percent, to 264,000 litres, in the first quarter ended 30 June 30 compared with a year earlier.
Mr Ross said the company had doubled its New Zealand market share since it implemented the new structure last October.
Mr Ross said the company had changed its structure to improve brand positioning, margins, market performance and brewing capacity.
He said Moa was able to scale up its Blenheim-based brewing production, by using the spare capacity at a nearby brewery in Nelson.
Mr Ross said the craft beer market was growing and the company was well-positioned to take advantage of the opportunities.
He said since last July Moa has gone from 2 percent of the craft beer market to around 7.2 percent. Mr Ross said overall craft beer was a growing segment within beer sales.
The company would continue to focus on building its market share in New Zealand, although it also had its eye on Australia.
Mr Ross said New Zealand craft beer had a good opportunity to export, and it was in much the same position as wine was in this country 20 years ago.
It had recently gained a placement in Woolworths stores in Australia and had created a pale ale, which it was marketing in collaboration with cricketer Shane Warne.
Moa's annual meeting is being held in Auckland on Thursday.
