June 28 – The Campari Group signed an agreement to acquire the assets of Copack Beverage A Limited Partnership (“Copack”), a leading beverage bottler in Australia, specialized in beverages packaging in cans and glass, and current supplier of the Group Campari for ready-to-drink products. Copack was founded in Melbourne in 2007, and since 2010 is a supplier of Wild Turkey Campari products in Australia. Thanks to its innovative capacity, Copack supported the Campari Group in the launch of a series of successful brands in Australia, including American Honey, created in 2012. In addition, Copack is active in the production and supply of a variety of well-known products in the Australian market. With its current production capacity and customer portfolio, Copack is well positioned to continue to expand and increase production efficiency. “After three years of operation in Australia -said the company in a note -, the Campari Group has deemed it necessary and timely to internalize production. Copack’s acquisition was considered the preferred option compared to any investment in the creation of a production facility from scratch on site.” This acquisition further strengthens the Group’s international management of the supply chain, as it improves the local structure’s flexibility, increases control over quality, and strengthens the innovation capacities. As a result, the operation is an important opportunity to support the future growth of the Group in the Asia-Pacific region. The Campari Group will pay A$20 million (equivalent to approximately €14.2 million at the current exchange rate) in the absence of cash or debt for land, buildings, manufacturing activities and working capital. Completion of the acquisition is expected by the third quarter of 2013. The recovery period (payback period) of the investment is estimated to be about 6 years.
