Mobile asset management company TrenStar has acquired and will provide outsourced management of the beer keg fleet of Adolph Coors Company’s UK operating subsidiary – Coors Brewers (CBL). The development brings the percentage of kegs owned and managed by TrenStar in the UK to more than 60%.
TrenStar will make its Radio Frequency Identification-enabled (RFID-enabled) aluminum and stainless steel keg and cask fleet available to CBL under a 15-year, “per-fill” fee container services agreement. Having all containers fitted with RFID tags so that TrenStar can track location and container use information is intended for better control, visibility and asset use.
Greg Cronin, TrenStar chief executive officer, says that CBL transferred management of its keg fleet expecting significant and long-term cost savings through increased supply chain efficiencies and participation in a neutral industry keg pool. TrenStar plans to be the first single provider to pool and source these common, non-competitive assets and activities of multiple brewers for a lower average cost
David Adams, TrenStar senior vice president of corporate strategy, adds: “Without industry pooling each brewer must duplicate the entire supply chain. Brewer participation in an industry asset pool requires a serious shift in the way things are done today, but the rewards of sharing kegs amongst competitors and letting a neutral third party run the operation are enormous.”
