Brulines, the Stockton-based beer flow monitoring company, is eyeing plans to install its systems in 1,000 outlets in the US over the next couple of years, chief executive James Dickson has told M&C Report.
Brulines currently has more than 46 sites in Denver “with prospects for a further 65 during H1 2012”, the company said in its full-year results this morning. It anticipates breaking even in America in 2011/2012.
Dickson said: “There’s an opportunity to significantly advance that business. I’d be disappointed if in a couple of years we don’t have 1,000 sites in the states.
He added: “There’s 60,000 what we would call pubs, bars and drinking establishments [in the US], before you start looking at hotels etc. There’s a massive market.
“Everyone who runs pubs and bars wants to be top of the numbers they want to have the data.”
Dickson said the firm’s approach in America would be “opportunistic” but “very disciplined”.
He said Brulines has two dedicated members of staff based in America. Data from bars in the US is analysed at Brulines’ UK headquarters and a management report is sent back to the American customer. The technology used is identical to its iDraught systems the company launched in the UK in March 2011.
Meanwhile, Dickson said Brulines has “three, possibly four” commercial evaluations currently in process for its Nucleus Smart Till electronic point of sale system. Launched at the same time as iDraught, the tills interface directly with iDraught to provide till variance analysis. Brulines aims to have 500 new installations of the systems during 2012.
Dickson said the beer flow side of its business will remain the most significant division over the coming years but other strands could grow to be “equal in scale”.
It follows a dip in turnover in its leisure arm (from £19.33m to £18.16m) along with a sharp rise in its fuel solutions division (£0.5m to £6.12m) caused by three acquisitions in the division and the formal launch of its Brulines Fuel Solutions section in February.
On the upcoming inquiry into pubco reform by the Business, Innovation & Skills Committee, which is likely to look at Brulines technology, Dickson said: “I’m hopeful that they will recognise the progress that’s been made and appreciate the work been done to demonstrate our technology.”
