Coca-Cola HBC to acquire Finlandia vodka from Brown-Forman

Coca-Cola HBC has today announced that it is acquiring the Finlandia vodka brand from Brown-Forman. The leading Nordic wine and spirits brand house, Anora, is the global distiller and bottler of Finlandia vodka, and is also the distributor of Finlandia vodka in Finland, Sweden and Norway. The strategic long-term collaboration Anora has had with Brown-Forman will now continue between Anora and Coca-Cola HBC. 

Coca-Cola HBC has today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Brown-Forman to acquire the Finlandia vodka brand. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals. 

Finlandia was established in 1970 and is a leading vodka brand in Central and Eastern Europe with annual volumes of 2.7 million 9L cases globally, of which more than 60% are being generated within Coca-Cola HBC’s geographic footprint. 

Under a long-term production services agreement that runs until 2035, Anora is the global producer of Finlandia vodka, covering distillation and bottling. The brand was sold by former Altia (today Anora) to US-based Brown-Forman Corporation in multiple phases, from 2000 to 2004. 

”Finlandia vodka, produced by Anora from the pure natural ingredients of Finnish barley and water, is an important part of Anora’s history and heritage, first as brand owner and later as the producer for global markets pursuant to a strategic partnership with Brown-Forman. We look forward to continuing and deepening the strategic partnership with Coca-Cola HBC,” says Pekka Tennilä, CEO of Anora Group Plc. 

Anora is known for the front-running work with sustainable production based on circular economy, own bioenergy plant, investments in regenerative farming and innovation in climate-smart packaging. The company is committed to setting science-based targets.

About Coca-Cola HBC

Coca-Cola HBC is a growth-focused consumer packaged goods business and strategic bottling partner of The Coca-Cola Company. We create value for all our stakeholders by supporting the socio-economic development of the communities in which we operate and we believe building a more positive environmental impact is integral to our future growth. Together, we and our customers serve 740 million consumers across a broad geographic footprint of 29 countries on three continents. Our portfolio is one of the strongest, broadest and most flexible in the beverage industry, offering consumer-leading beverage brands in the sparkling, juice, water, sport, energy, plant-based, ready-to-drink tea, coffee, adult sparkling and premium spirits categories. These beverages include Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero, Schweppes, Kinley, Costa, Valser, Romerquelle, Fanta, Sprite, Powerade, Aquarius, Vitamin Water, FuzeTea, Cappy, Monster, Burn, Caffè Vergnano and Adez. We foster an open and inclusive work environment amongst our 33,000 employees and we are ranked among the top sustainability performers in ESG benchmarks such as the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices, CDP, MSCI ESG and FTSE4Good.

Coca-Cola HBC has a premium listing on the London Stock Exchange (LSE:CCH) and is listed on the Athens Exchange (ATHEX:EEE). For more information, please visit https://www.coca-colahellenic.com

 
About Brown-Forman

Brown-Forman is a company of dynamic people who produce, market, and distribute fine spirits and wines. The company and its portfolio of brands are supported by approximately 5,600 employees across six continents worldwide. Brown-Forman is the largest American-owned spirits and wines company and among the tops 10 largets global spirits companies by value. Brown-Forman’s portfolio of brands are sold in more the 170 contries worldwide. Read more: https://www.brown-forman.com/

Further information:

Pekka Tennilä, CEO

Contacts:

Inka Vettenranta, Corporate Communications, tel. +358 50 339 4980

Inka Vettenranta
Communications Manager
+358 50 339 4980
inka.vettenranta@anora.com

Anora is a leading wine and spirits brand house in the Nordic region and a global industry forerunner in sustainability. Our market-leading portfolio consists of our own iconic Nordic brands and a wide range of prominent international partner wines and spirits. We export to over 30 markets globally. Anora Group also includes Anora Industrial and logistics company Vectura. In 2022, Anora’s net sales were EUR 703 million and the company employs about 1,200 professionals. Anora’s shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.