Soft drink producer and distributor Kofola, based in Rajecká Lesná, has bought the rights to the popular soft drink Vinea from wine producer Vitis Pezinok.
Marián Šefčovič, Kofola’s director general, stated on February 20 that the companies agreed on the transaction in late 2007 and signed the contract on January 31, 2008, the SITA newswire wrote. The price of the transaction was not revealed.
"We learned that Vinea was on sale about a year ago,” Šefčovič said. “Based on our knowledge of the soft drinks market, we see great potential for the Vinea brand and, therefore, we decided to express our interest."
"The sale was part of Vitis Pezinok’s strategic plan,” Dušan Hecht, Vitis Pezinok’s director general, said.
Vinea holds the top position on the market of grape-based soft drinks.
Vinea and Kofola share a similar history as soft drinks whose production started during Communism in Czechoslovakia. Both companies experienced a drop in sales after the fall of the regime, and both rebounded after massive advertising campaigns.
Vinea is a natural product manufactured without any colourants.
Compiled by Jana Liptáková from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
