The Damm brewery in El Prat de Llobregat continues to supply the food and drink distribution channel and the export market
The beer company, in agreement with workers' representatives, has taken measures to safeguard the health and safety of the workforce and to make the brewery’s production more flexible, following on from the declaration of the state of emergency which has caused the hospitality sector to shut down
The Damm brewery in El Prat de Llobregat (Barcelona), considered by last Sunday’s (March 29) state of emergency decree to be essential as part of the food and beverage sector, continues to produce and pack its different beer brands to be able to supply customers through grocery stores and supermarkets.
The brewery also continues to deliver to the more than 120 countries where Estrella Damm is present. However, after the declaration of the state of emergency by the Government, which stipulated the shutting down of bars, restaurants and hotels, the company was forced to suspend production of formats intended for the hospitality sector, especially beer in barrels and returnable bottles.
According to Jorge Villavecchia, Managing Director of Damm, “since the beginning of this crisis, our priority has been, and is, the health and safety of our employees. From the start, the company has been in permanent contact with the Works Council to assess the situation day by day and to make all the necessary decisions to safeguard the health of all employees, keep all the group's factories operational, including the El Prat de Llobregat brewery, and to ensure production continues in these extraordinary circumstances”. All the measures adopted have been taken jointly with the Works Council. Villavecchia highlights "the goodwill and sense of responsibility of the whole team at El Prat, especially the workers’ representatives, and the commitment of each and every one of Damm's employees to get through this difficult situation".
The Managing Director of Damm says that the involvement of all of the departments of the company has been necessary - production, quality, packaging, maintenance, logistics, administration, etc - to be able to keep up production and supply the market properly. He also asserts that Damm has always been characterised by its commitment to society and for that reason "we are working to be ready to meet the demands of the hospitality sector from the minute that this crisis is over."
Covid-19 help from Damm
During the last two weeks, Damm's different companies have offered to help the Government and various health authorities.
The Estrella Damm brewery in El Prat de Llobregat last week supplied almost 100,000 litres of hydro-alcoholic mixture to Alcoholera Catalana for the manufacture of more than 38,000 litres of 96-degree alcohol, one of the products which is beginning to be scarce in all of the country’s hospitals. 6,000 litres have been specifically designated to the Hospital Clínic in Barcelona.
Damm, through the Damm Foundation, has also supplied 30,000 litres of mineral water (around 50,000 bottles) to hospitals, health centres and social organisations in more than 12 provinces in Spain.
