The Swiss company Coca-Cola HBC AG has signed an agreement to acquire the vodka company Brown-Forman Finland Oy from Brown-Forman Corp. for $220 million. This is reported in the press release of Anora.
Finnish company Anora Group plc, the leading Scandinavian brand of wine and spirits, is a distributor of Finlandia vodka in Finland, Sweden and Norway.
The strategic long-term cooperation between Anora and Brown-Forman, which is valid until 2035, will continue between Anora and Coca-Cola HBC. Under the agreement, Anora will remain a producer of Finlandia vodka, including distillation and bottling.
Anora is known for cutting-edge developments in the field of sustainable production based on a closed-cycle economy, the use of its own bioenergy plant, investments in regenerative agriculture and innovations in the field of packaging taking into account climatic conditions.
The transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of 2023 after regulatory approval.
Coca-Cola HBC has been distributing Finlandia and other premium spirits brands for more than 17 years and expects to expand its portfolio of assets and brands through the transaction, accelerate the development of local business in the markets and strengthen partnerships with customers in strategically important areas, including HoReCa.
The Finlandia Vodka brand, whose production is based on the use of pure natural ingredients (Finnish barley and water), was established in 1970 and is the leading vodka brand in Central and Eastern Europe.
Coca-Cola HBC is a Swiss beverage company in Central and Eastern Europe. The company is a strategic partner of Coca-Cola Company for bottling beverages Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, Schweppes, Costa, Valser, Fanta, Sprite, Powerade, Aquarius, etc. Coca-Cola has a premium listing on the London Stock Exchange and is listed on the Athens Exchange. The headquarters is located in Zug (Switzerland).
Brown-Forman is the largest American company for the production of alcoholic beverages and wines with headquarters in Louisville (Kentucky).
