Guaraná is such a national drink that each Brazilian state has its own favorite brand. In Santa Catarina, it’s Pureza. In Paraná, Cini. In Amazonas, not one but two: Baré and Tuchuá, so emblematic that they ended up in the hands of giants like Ambev and Coca-Cola. In Rio Grande do Sul, a state known for its strong local pride, it couldn’t be any different: order a guaraná at a roadside restaurant or a family dinner, and chances are a bottle — preferably glass — of Fruki will be served.

The brand from Lajeado, a city 120 kilometers from Porto Alegre, is a symbol of the local preference for products made close to home. But unlike many regional soda makers, often reliant on a single product and the nostalgia of consumers, Fruki has built a billion-real family business with a portfolio worthy of a multinational: soft drinks, mineral water, juices, flavored drinks, energy drinks and even beer.

In the past five years, under the leadership of Aline Eggers, a fourth-generation family member at the helm, revenue has nearly tripled, from R$ 395 million (US$ 74.1 million) to the historic milestone of R$ 1 billion (US$ 187.7 million). The opening of a second plant at the end of 2023, in Paverama, just minutes from Lajeado, added 200 million liters to production capacity. That still wasn’t enough. Just a few months later, the company brought forward an investment of R$ 100 million (US$ 18.8 million) to expand the factory.

Now, in an exclusive to EXAME, it announces another injection of R$ 100 million (US$ 18.8 million) for a third production line at the plant by the end of the year. “The strength of a recognized brand, decades-long relationships with 25,000 retail and food service clients, and a management model guided by data and results are the foundation of our growth,” says Aline.

To be fair, and as Aline likes to point out, the foundation of that growth is also tied to the teachings of her father, Nelson Eggers, now chairman of the company’s board. Under his leadership, Fruki grew from a small business to become synonymous with soda in Rio Grande do Sul. He was also the creator of the formula for the company’s most famous beverage, launched in 1971. At the time, the 47-year-old company moved from Arroio do Meio, a city of 22,000 residents less than 15 minutes from its current headquarters, to Lajeado, where it remains to this day.

There, on the banks of the Taquari River, one of the state’s most important waterways, Fruki took its first steps in 1924, still under the name Bebidas Kirst & Cia, focused on beer and producing 200 bottles a day. That went on for nearly half a century, until the relocation and the launch of its line of sodas: guaraná, orange, lemon and grape. “At the time, orange was actually stronger than guaraná,” says Júlio Eggers, Aline’s brother and the company’s current head of marketing.

From then on, Fruki continued in cycles of expansion: in the 1990s, it swapped part of its glass bottles for PET; in the 2000s, it launched Água da Pedra mineral water, another sales phenomenon; and, starting in 2010, it resumed beer production and entered new categories, such as energy drinks and natural juices.

The diversification of its portfolio helps explain how Fruki grew 34% last year — and how it plans to repeat that performance in 2025, a pace that could inspire envy among competitors. In terms of volume, the company already bottles more Água da Pedra than soda.

The brand has held, for 11 years, the title of most remembered by consumers in Rio Grande do Sul, according to the annual Top of Mind survey by Grupo Amanhã, ahead even of Coca-Cola’s Crystal, the national sales leader. To go beyond commodity logic and add value to a product as essential as water, Fruki launched Água da Pedra in cans and in a flavored line, with six natural aromas, from lemon to bergamot.

“It’s interesting to see how flavored water attracts consumers who no longer wanted to drink soda and opted for a lighter alternative,” says Aline. The trend is also noted by Alexandre Horta, CEO of the Brazilian Association of Soft Drink and Non-Alcoholic Beverage Industries (Abir). “In recent years, soda has come to be seen as an entertainment beverage, and mineral water has gained space as a daily substitute,” he says.

Today, sodas and mineral water are practically tied in national production volume, each around 20 billion liters annually, according to federal government data.

Having a broad portfolio also supports another central growth strategy for Fruki: strengthening ties with clients. “Bars, restaurants and retailers increasingly seek suppliers who can solve several pain points on their own,” says Aline.

“If we offer a wide range of beverages, deliver on time, with quality and agreed prices, the relationship grows stronger and sales rise.” Logistics reinforce that advantage. The company has ten distribution centers, with another about to open in Passo Fundo, in northern Rio Grande do Sul. This network proved its worth in May 2024, during floods that hit 95% of the state.

With only five months of operation, the new Paverama plant was crucial to maintaining supply: the Taquari River overflowed, closing the region’s main bridge, which connects Lajeado to Estrela and links the east to the west of the state. In practice, the state was split in two.

Fruki managed to serve eastern regions from the Paverama plant and western areas from the Lajeado one. “The Paverama plant was our salvation,” says Júlio Eggers.

The episode gained even more relevance for Fruki because Coca-Cola Femsa’s main plant in the state, in Porto Alegre, was completely flooded, disrupting the distribution network of the world’s largest beverage company. While the competitor would only resume full operations about a year later, Fruki took the opportunity to occupy part of that market space.

Beyond ensuring supply during the flood, the new Paverama plant is the strongest symbol of how Fruki is running full throttle toward growth. The project had been on paper since 2016 but gained momentum during the pandemic, when high demand and operational restrictions in the summer raised alarms.

“We spent two summers working at the limit, and we managed to be ready for the summer of 2024, increasing production capacity by 50%,” says Júlio Nascimento, the company’s operations director.

The factory also received food safety certifications to facilitate production for third parties, another expanding market in Brazil. But demand surprised even the company’s leadership.

“When we inaugurated the factory, with R$ 200 million (US$ 37.5 million), we thought we’d only revisit new investments in four years. But sales skyrocketed,” says Aline Eggers. The second line, completed in July, doubled the plant’s capacity and matched the production of the Lajeado unit.

Now, the third phase, with another R$ 100 million (US$ 18.8 million), is expected to be operational by December, consolidating Paverama as one of the pillars of the company’s next growth cycle.

Investments, in fact, are on the radar of the entire beverage industry. This year alone, the Coca-Cola system, the sector’s main player, announced a plan to invest R$ 7 billion (US$ 1.31 billion) in Brazil, with 14 new production lines.

Abir, the industry association, estimates that by 2028, investments in the country will reach R$ 40 billion (US$ 7.5 billion), not only to expand factories but also to launch new products. Part of this movement is a response to a global challenge in the beverage industry: consumer demand for healthier drinks.

Hence the strategy to strengthen products such as flavored water and, of course, “sugar-free” beverages. The global sugar-free drinks market generates US$ 4.6 billion in revenue, with annual growth of 10.6%. By the end of the decade, it is expected to jump to US$ 24.5 billion, according to a study by consulting firm Stellarix.

“Consumers are choosing, opting for something sugar-free, and the industry is adapting,” says Horta, of Abir. “In addition, we committed to Anvisa to reduce sugar levels in beverages, and we are delivering on that.” The impact is partly felt by Fruki. “The sugar-free market is significant. But there are also those who prefer sugar, especially in activities that require quick energy replacement,” says Aline. “Today, there is greater demand for products with less sugar, but traditional soda continues to grow significantly.”

Between new products and changing consumer profiles, Fruki also faces a natural challenge for any family business: succession. Aline herself did not grow up planning to take over the family company. Her father, Nelson, began thinking about succession in the 1980s but never pressured her to join the business. “I used to visit on weekends, but I never heard an invitation from him to work here,” she says.

She graduated, moved to Porto Alegre and built a solid career at the Ipiranga Petroleum Group, working close to boards and shareholders. Ten years later, in 2002, she received a dinner proposal from her father: to leave a company with R$ 20 billion (US$ 3.75 billion) in revenue for a business with R$ 40 million (US$ 7.5 million). “It was a big dilemma, but my director at Ipiranga told me I couldn’t say no — my family was calling me.”

When she arrived, she found only the Lajeado plant, with no distribution centers, a limited portfolio and 200 employees. Very different from today’s scenario of a company with Nelson as board chairman and three independent directors. The succession plan is also clear: Aline will remain in charge until completing a ten-year term, after which her brother Júlio will take over for another decade.

Certainly, the siblings’ development agenda has expansion into new markets on the horizon. Today, 30% of Fruki’s revenue already comes from Santa Catarina, a region the Eggers family has served since 2017. Going further, however, is an expensive challenge: entering regions such as the Southeast would require building local plants, since transporting bottles long distances from Rio Grande do Sul would increase costs and erode competitiveness. “We are cautious,” says Aline. “We are optimistic about what we’re building, but everything will happen at the right time.” Until then, anyone wanting to try the most popular guaraná among gauchos must land in the pampas and make the right request: “A guaraná, please.” Almost always, it will come with Fruki’s green label.

The text was translated with artificial intelligence. If you have any questions or corrections, please write to rafael.balago (at) exame.com.