Today, SABMiller plc, one of the world’s largest breweries, announced that it had struck a deal to acquire a 99.84 percent stake in the Ukrainian brewery, ZAT Sarmat. The transaction is subject to approval by the Ukrainian Antimonopoly Committee and other customary pre-closing conditions.
Upon the completion of the deal, Sarmat will operate one brewery in Donetsk in the east of the country with an annual production capacity of 2.9 million hectoliters. It will produce the Sarmat, Dnipro, and Drive Max brands. The purchase price will not be disclosed; however the value of the gross assets to be acquired will reach approximately $130 million.
This acquisition represents SABMiller’s entry into one of the fastest growing beer markets globally with a four year growth rate to 2006 of 14 percent per annum. Ukraine’s medium term forecast for beer market growth is expected to be higher than any other major Central and Eastern European market, SABMiller’s press release stated.
UNIAN reference: Sarmat group is one of Ukraine’s four leading beer producers. Sarmat owns five breweries: Sarmat (Donetsk), Lugansk Brewery (Luhansk), Krym Beer & Non-Alcohol Drinks Plant, Poltavpyvo and a plant on malt production Dnepr Brewery (Dnipropetrovsk).
In 2007, the group controlled 8 percent of Ukrainian beer market.
Managing company System Capital Management (SCM) owns Sarmat group.
SABMiller plc is one of the world’s largest brewers with brewing interests or distribution agreements in over 60 countries across six continents. The group’s brands include premium international beers such as Grolsch, Miller Genuine Draft, Peroni Nastro Azzurro and Pilsner Urquell, as well as an exceptional range of market leading local brands. Outside the USA, SABMiller plc is also one of the largest bottlers of Coca-Cola products in the world.
During the fiscal year which ended on March 31, 2007, the group reported $3,154 million in adjusted pre-tax profit and revenue of $18,620 million. SABMiller plc is listed on the London and Johannesburg stock exchanges.
