Four Pillars
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Craft gin distillery
Four Pillars is a small Australian distillery established in Healesville, VIC in 2013. Beverage giant Lion bought a 50% stake in 2019, with the three founders retaining the other 50%.
Company Ownership
Healesville Distilling Pty Ltd | AUS | website | ||||
Lion Pty Ltd ![]() owns 50% of Healesville Distilling Pty Ltd |
AUS | website | ||||
Beverages and dairy manufacturing Through a series of mergers and acquisitions between 2002 and 2009, this company became Australia's largest dairy company, largest juice company and second largest brewery. Owned by Japan's Kirin since 2007. | ||||||
Kirin Holdings Company Ltd ![]() owns 100% of Lion Pty Ltd |
JPN | website | ||||
Food, beverage, alcohol and pharmaceuticals manufacturer Kirin's main businesses include alcohol, soft drinks, pharmaceuticals and food. Japan's largest brewer. Kirin bought Australian dairy & juice company National Foods in 2007, and Dairy Farmers in late 2008, and the 54% of Lion Nathan (Australia's #2 brewer) it didn't already own in 2009. While Kirin is an independent company, it is part of Japan's largest "keiretsu", Mitsubishi Group. |
Company Assessment
PRAISE | CRITICISM | INFORMATION | ||
Healesville Distilling Pty Ltd | ||||
No assessment data currently available for Healesville Distilling Pty Ltd | ||||
Lion Pty Ltd | ||||
Signatory to the Australian Packaging Covenant, a voluntary agreement to encourage waste minimisation.
Source: Australian Packaging Covenant (2020)
This company's business operations meet the requirements of the Climate Active Carbon Neutral Standard, and have been certified carbon neutral since 2020.
Source: Climate Active (2020) |
Named and shamed in the 2013 CHOICE Shonky Awards. According to Choice, Lion's Dairy Farmers Oats Express Liquid Breakfast Banana and Honey, which has pictures of whole oats, banana slices and a honey dipper on the pack, claims to be a smooth "blend of milk, oat fibre and real banana". The ingredients panel reveals the product actually contains banana extract and no honey.
Source: Choice (2013)
This company has been criticised for offensive advertising. In 2010 the Advertising Standards Bureau upheld complaints about an ad by this company on the grounds that it breached advertising codes. The ad was subsequently discontinued or modified.
Source: Advertising Standards Bureau (2010)
According to the democracyforsale.net website, this company donated $896,849 to Australia's major political parties between 2012 and 2018, as disclosed to the Australian Electoral Commision (AEC).
Source: Democracy For Sale (2018)
In 2013 Coca-Cola Amatil, Schweppes Australia and Lion Pty Ltd filed proceedings in the Federal Court challenging the legal validity of the Northern Territory's Container Deposit Scheme (CDS). Other large bottlers like Fosters and Diageo have not joined the court case. A CDS has been proven worldwide to be the best way to increase collection and recycling. The Boomerang Alliance estimates a CDS would increase recovery by 80%.
Source: news article (2013)
In Dec 2010 National Foods' juice line Berri was required to change two of its flagship brands, Australian Fresh and The Daily Juice Company, after an ACCC investigation found the brand names might be misleading customers into believing the juice was 100% freshly-squeezed. Australian Fresh was renamed Australian Grown, while packaging for The Daily Juice Company was altered to reflect the blended nature of the contents.
Source: ACCC (2010)
This company has signed the ABAC Responsible Alcohol Marketing Code, which is designed to regulate alcohol advertising and marketing within Australia.
Source: ABAC (2017)
This company is a signatory to the Responsible Children's Marketing Initiative (RCMI), which is managed by the Australian Food & Grocery Council and covers products found in retail outlets. Companies that have signed up to the initiative commit to: only advertising healthier choices to children and encouraging a healthy lifestyle through good diet and physical activity; not paying for or seeking product placement television programs, editorial content or interactive games aimed at children, unless the product is a healthier choice; not advertising and marketing to children in Australian schools unless they are asked to by those schools.
Source: AFGC (2019)
This company makes voluntary contributions to DrinkWise Australia, a not-for-profit organisation established in 2005 by the alcohol industry, whose stated goal is to help bring about a healthier and safer drinking culture in Australia.
Source: DrinkWise (2020)
This company is listed by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) as a Employer of Choice for Gender Equality citation holder. The citation is designed to encourage, recognise and promote active commitment to achieving gender equality in Australian workplaces.
Source: WGEA (2019)
This company has a number of sustainability claims on its website, including in the areas of tax transparency and environmental performance.
Source: company website (2020)
This company is a member of the Supplier Ethical Data Exchange (Sedex), a not-for-profit, membership organisation that leads work with buyers and suppliers to deliver improvements in responsible and ethical business practices in global supply chains. Tens of thousands of companies use Sedex to manage their performance around labour rights, health & safety, the environment and business ethics.
Source: Sedex (2018)
On 13 January 2010, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU), following endorsement from union members at Berri Juices in Sydney, signed a new collective agreement which secured conditions and brought long delayed wage rises. Industrial actions leading up to agreement included the first workers strike in Berri's history.
Source: IUF (2010)
Directly involved in the manufacture, distribution or sale of alcohol as a core business.
Source: company website (2020) |
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Kirin Holdings Company Ltd | ||||
In 2019, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change risk. Responding companies are scored across four key areas: disclosure; awareness; management; and leadership. This company received a CDP Climate Change Score of A.
Source: CDP (2019)
In 2019, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts to manage and govern freshwater resources. Responding companies are scored on six key metrics: transparency; governance & strategy; measuring & monitoring; risk assessment; targets & goals; and value chain engagement. This company received a CDP Water Security Score of A.
Source: CDP (2019) |
This company appears on Burma Campaign UK's 'Dirty List' of companies assisting the Burmese military to continue to commit human rights violations and environmental destruction. In Burma Kirin is in a joint venture, Myanmar Breweries, with the Union of Myanmar Economic Holdings, which is controlled by and for the benefit of the military. This subsidiary has also donated money to the Burmese military.
Source: Burma Campaign UK (2019)
The 2019 Corporate Human Rights Benchmark assessed 200 of the largest publicly traded companies in the world from the Agricultural Products, Apparel, Extractives and ICT Manufacturing sectors on 100 human rights indicators. This company's score was in the 20-30 band range. The overall average score was a disappointing 24%.
Source: CHRB (2019)
This company received an S&P Global ESG Score of 25/100 in the Beverages category of the 2019 SAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment, an annual evaluation of companies' sustainability practices. The rankings are based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.
Source: S&P Global (2019) |
This company received a score of 49.8/100 in the Newsweek Green Rankings 2012, which ranks the world's largest publicly traded companies on their environmental footprint, management (policies, programs, initiatives, controversies) and reporting practices, using data from Trucost and Sustainalytics.
Source: Newsweek (2012)
This company holds Forest Stewardship Council Chain of Custody Certification, and sells products certified as FSC Mix and FSC Recycled.
Source: FSC (2017)
As listed on the We Mean Business website, this company has committed to the following climate action initiatives: adopt a science-based emissions reduction target; report climate change information in mainstream reports as a fiduciary duty.
Source: We Mean Business (2017)
The United Nations Global Compact asks companies to embrace, support and enact, within their sphere of influence, a set of 10 values in the areas of human rights, labour standards, the environment, and anti-corruption. However it's non-binding nature has been widely criticised, and many signatory corporations continue to violate the Compact's values.
Source: UN Global Compact (2020)
Kirin acquired Fraser & Neave's 55% stake in Myanmar Brewery in 2015. Prior to this the brewery operated as a joint venture between Fraser & Neave and a Burmese state-owned enterprise, and generated significant income for the oppressive Burmese regime (which ended in 2011).
Source: news article (2015)
Directly involved in the manufacture, distribution or sale of alcohol as a core business.
Source: company website (2020)
USA biotech company Hematech Inc. genetically modify cattle for human antibody production. Hematech was previously a subsidiary of Kirin's pharmaceutical division (Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co) until Dec 2012 when it was acquired by Sanford Health and rebranded Sanford Applied Biosciences, LLC.
Source: company website (2012) |
Company Details
Type | Private company |
Aus Manufacturing | Yes |
Contact Details
Address | 2a Lilydale Road, Healesville, VIC, 3777, Australia |
Freecall | 1800 374 446 |
info@fourpillarsgin.com.au | |
Website | www.fourpillarsgin.com.au |
Products / Brands
Four Pillars
Four Pillars Gin |