/ 10 June 2008

SABMiller to acquire Russian brewer

Listed beverage giant SABMiller has agreed to acquire Russian brewer LLC Vladpivo, the company said on Tuesday.

”The acquisition of Vladpivo complements our existing capability and will allow us to expand the presence of our worthmore brands by providing us with a more competitive logistics configuration and better access to our consumers in this important and attractive region,” said James Wilson, managing director of SABMiller Russia.

Vladpivo, the largest brewer in the Russian far east Primorie region, is located near the city of Vladivostok and has an annual capacity of one million hectolitres.

The value of the gross assets to be acquired is approximately $69-million. However, the purchase price is not being disclosed.

Vladpivo will become SABMiller’s third production facility in Russia, in addition to its main brewery in Kaluga and the site in Ulyanovsk that is currently under construction and expected to be commissioned in early 2009.

Vladpivo is owned by a consortium consisting of A1, Detroit Investments and the IFC. — Sapa