Campari adds premium French rum brands to its portfolio | Progresiv
Gruppo Campari has announced it has completed the signing of an agreement for the acquisition of French spirits producer Rhumantilles SAS. The deal, which is worth 60 million euros, was initially announced in July, and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year. 
Rhumantilles SAS is a 96.5% owner of Bellonnie&Bourdillon Successeurs, a Martinique-based producer of premium rums Trois Rivières and Maison La Mauny, both of which have a strong presence in France, as well as Duquesne, a brand for the Martinique market.
In a statement, Campari said, 'With this acquisition Campari Group will add prestigious agricole rum brands to its offering and enhance its exposure to rum, a premiumising category currently at the heart of the mixology trend and growing cocktail culture. Moreover, Campari Group will add significant critical mass in France, poised to become one of the Group’s strategic markets.'
In July, Campari announced an 8% in organic first-half sales, boosted by a strong performance in North America, with its Aperol spirit seeing a 22% growth in sales in the period.
Commenting on its outlook for the remainder of the year, chief executive, Bob Kunze-Concewitz said, "The positive business momentum is expected to continue, with persisting volatility of emerging markets in their key seasonality period. We remain confident in delivering a positive performance across all key underlying business indicators." (www.esmmagazine.com)
