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Stock Spirits buys Slovak producer

Stock Spirits Group has taken a step closer to becoming the largest spirits producer in Central and Eastern Europe with the acquisition of Slovak company Imperator.

Stock Spirits Group’s Fernet Stock is leading its bitters category in Slovakia

The deal will move Stock Spirits into the second strongest spirits group in Slovakia, with a leading position in herbal bitters and a number two position in fruit distillates and vodka.

Up until now Stock Spirits has held almost 50% market share in the herbal bitters category, with brands such as Fernet Stock, Fernet Stock Citrus and Fernet Stock Z-Generation.

Chris Heath, CEO of Stock Spirits, said the acquisition of Imperator will help the company grow market share immediately and in the future.

“We are very pleased to have acquired Imperator as we continue to expand our brand portfolio in Central and Eastern Europe, he said. “We are confident that the combination of our existing brands in Stock Slovakia together with the Imperator brands will give us both the scale and coverage to help grow in the market in the future.

“We are also excited by the new opportunities that this will create to develop our business, the acquisition being firmly in line with our aim of being the leading spirits company regionally.”

Stock Spirits has also separately acquired ethanol manufacturing business Novel Ferm near Rostock in Germany. Established seven years ago, the plant produces over 20million litres of alcohol per year.

Following its acquisition, Novel Ferm will be renamed Baltic Distillery and its output used to supply Stock manufacturing plants in Poland and the Czech Republic.

“A fundamental part of our strategy is to produce superior quality products, and we see Baltic Distillery as an important contributor to that in future,” added Heath.

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