22 May 2008 - Lion Capital LLP is pleased to announce that an agreement has been reached whereby Lion Capital will acquire a majority stake in the Russian Alcohol Group from Industrial Investors in a transaction, which, conditional upon regulatory approval, is expected to close within sixty days.
Central European Distribution Corporation a leading vodka producer in Poland and Russia, and one of the largest in the world, will also invest in Russian Alcohol alongside Lion Capital, as will Goldman Sachs.
Russian Alcohol is the largest producer of vodka and ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages in Russia. Since its creation by Industrial Investors in 2003, the company has grown to become a leader in the Russian spirits industry, with a portfolio of market-leading spirits products and one of the most enviable distribution operations in the Russian market. Russian Alcohol’s flagship brand, Green Mark (Zelenaya Marka), is the largest vodka brand by volume in Russia, and one of the top five globally. The Company produces Zhuravli, a top-selling premium vodka and one of the fastest growing vodka brands in Russia, and Russian Alcohol has one of the largest portfolios of long-drinks products in the country. The Company is headquartered in Moscow and employs approximately 3,500 employees across five production facilities. In its current financial year, the Company expects to generate net sales of over $500 million.”
Commenting on the agreement, Javier Ferrán, Partner of Lion Capital, said:
“Over a relatively short period of time, the owners and management team have done an excellent job of building Russian Alcohol into a market-leading integrated spirits business with an attractive portfolio of branded offerings and a formidable distribution platform in one of the largest and fastest growing spirits markets in the world. Russian Alcohol is home to some of the leading spirits brands in Russia and the Company’s strong capabilities across all aspects of its business make it well-placed to continue to grow its current brands and to successfully introduce new products into the vibrant Russian market. We believe there is a compelling opportunity to capitalise on the Russian consumer trend towards premium spirits products and to further accelerate the Company’s strong financial performance. We are also pleased to be joined by CEDC in the investment as our strategic partner.”
William Carey, President and CEO of CEDC, said:
“We are extremely excited about this opportunity to be aligned with one of the premier Russian spirit companies. We believe that through our partnership with Lion Capital over the next few years, we will be able to continue to bring value to the Russian Alcohol business. Should we realize full ownership of the Russian Alcohol business, we expect that there will be significant synergies across our businesses in Russia, which we believe should create an enviable portfolio and market position. This investment represents a further step in the development of our Russian strategy and in becoming the market leader in Central and Eastern Europe with the strongest portfolio of branded wines and spirits.”
Sergey Sorokin, CEO of Russian Alcohol, said:
“We are very excited about the opportunity to partner with Lion Capital. Lion was our preferred investment partner as a result of their breadth of experience in investing in and operating consumer businesses, particularly within the beverages sub-sector. There exists a tremendous opportunity in the Russian spirits market to capitalise on prevailing trends in regulation, economic growth and consumer preferences, which are favouring large national players with strong marketing and distribution capabilities. We believe that Lion Capital is uniquely positioned to support the future growth and expansion of our business within this attractive market environment.”
Kirill Rubinski, First Vice President of Industrial Investors, said:
“The creation of Russian Alcohol and expansion to its current position as the leading spirits company in Russia has been an exciting process and a very successful investment for Industrial Investors and its shareholders. As with other companies acquired and managed by our group, our objective was to create a national champion and true industry leader. As we contemplate the company’s next phase of growth, we are pleased to welcome Lion Capital, a recognised international investor in consumer-branded businesses, as the new majority shareholder. We are confident that under Lion’s ownership, Russian Alcohol has a bright future."
Lion Capital was advised by Goldman Sachs, as well as Weil, Gotshal & Manges and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Russian Alcohol was advised by ABN Amro and Hogan & Hartson.