Delroy Alexander & McPherse Thompson Gleaner Staff

Paul Geddes and Margie Geddes
MARGIE GEDDES, the widow of Red Stripe beer founder Paul Geddes; Paul Stockhausen, former Appliance Traders Limited (ATL) managing director and Tony Kelly, master brewer are preparing plans to open a new micro-brewery, it emerged this week.
Industry sources suggested this week that Ms. Geddes, is one of three former directors of Red Stripe brewer Desnoes & Geddes who teamed up after recently leaving the board of the Red Stripe brewer and are planning to open a micro-brewery in direct competition to the popular local brew.
The news comes just a day before D&G launches its new Red Stripe light beer at a glitzy affair set for Thursday at New Kingston's Courtleigh Hotel.
D&G president John Irving did not respond to a call yesterday. D&G's legal adviser Stephen Johnson said the company has not been officially informed of plans to set up a brewery. He added: "There's a lot of whispering, but I haven't heard anything concrete about that".
Mr. Stockhausen declined to comment in detail on the project yesterday, saying that he was not yet in a position to speak on the proposals.
Micro-breweries have become all the rage in much of Europe and the USA, where beer drinkers search for unusually flavoured brews not produced by mass market players such as D&G owner Diageo and Heineken.
Sources close to the scheme said that investors were being canvassed and possible sites for the micro-brewery were being investigated. D&G's old Pechon Street location in Kingston is thought to be among them.
Insiders suggested this week that Margie Geddes, Dorothy Homi and Linda Gambrill have given their backing to a plan to create a niche brewer, offering a new "refreshing and light beer". They appear to have gained the backing of other influential female investors keen to invest in the brewing plans.
At the end of May, D&G said sales in the nine months to the end of March rose 5 per cent on last year. Pre-tax at $917 million, was up 72 per cent due to the one-off benefit from the profit on the sale of the soft drinks business. In December 1999 the brewer completed the sale of its soft drinks arm to Pepsi Cola (Jamaica) Bottling, concentrating its efforts on improving local and overseas markets for its brewed products, most notably Red Stripe.
Detailed proposals for a micro-brewery are said be near completion, and include using Mr. Stockhausen's and Mr. Kelly's brewing knowledge and combining that with the expertise of several of the managers and staff laid off by D&G in recent years. Both men are thought to be master brewers, qualified to produce top quality brews.
The three women resigned from the D&G board recently and have been replaced by Pan Jamaican Investment Trust boss Richard Byles and Nigel Clarke, a managing director of the Caribbean Equity Partners.
The move by the trio has left company executives "livid", according to one insider.
Paul Geddes, former head of D&G was one of the creators of the world famous Red Stripe beer.
Mr. Geddes, along with William (Bill) Martindale, is credited with creating the clear, crisp taste of Red Stripe, the great Jamaican beer, which remains D&G's flagship brand. It was first produced in 1928 as a light ale. However, Red Stripe as it is known today was not developed until 10 years later in 1938.
Mr. Geddes remained chairman emeritus of D&G and as at June 19, 1998, he held about 11 million shares.
He married then 38-year-old American Margie Piper in mid-1991, after ending a long relationship with Helga Stoeckert, co-owner of Hotel Four Seasons, which led to one of Jamaica's first high profile palimony cases over his assets of $600 million.
Widely respected in big business circles both as an innovator and brewing specialist, he died last June at his Jacks Hill residence, St. Andrew at the age of 89.
File Photo
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