Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company (HBC) has acquired a 30 per cent equity shareholding in premium Italian coffee company Casa Del Caffè Vergnano through its wholly owned subsidiary CC Beverages Holdings (CCH Holdings).
Furthermore, Coca-Cola HBC and Caffè Vergnano will enter into an exclusive distribution agreement for Caffè Vergnano’s products in Coca-Cola HBC’s territories outside of Italy.
CCH Holdings will be represented on the Board of Directors of Caffè Vergnano and have customary minority decision-making and governance rights.
Caffè Vergnano is a family-owned Italian coffee company headquartered in Santena, Italy. Coca-Cola HBC says it is one of the oldest coffee roasters in Italy with roots dating back to 1882.
Caffè Vergnano’s portfolio includes traditional espresso in various blends, packages, and formats such as beans, roast and ground coffee, and single portioned pods. In 2020, the company sold approximately 7000 tonnes of coffee in more than 90 countries worldwide.
Coca-Cola HBC says the proposed transaction represents an important milestone in vision of being the leading 24/7 beverage partner across its markets. Caffè Vergnano is highly complementary to its existing Costa Coffee proposition and will allow Coca-Cola HBC to address an even wider range of consumer tastes and segments. Furthermore, the partnership will increase Coca-Cola HBC’s relevance with its customers within the most attractive segments of the coffee category, while providing Caffè Vergnano with significant expansion potential through Coca-Cola HBC’s leading route to market network and commercial capabilities.
“We are very pleased to welcome Coca-Cola HBC as our new strategic partner to help accelerate our growth ambitions and support the journey of our brands outside our home market,” says Franco and Carlo Vergnano, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Caffè Vergnano.
“By combining Coca-Cola HBC’s expertise, know-how and critical mass, with our heritage coffee brand, great products and deep knowledge of the industry, we are confident this will prove a powerful partnership in growing our business further.”
For more information, visit www.coca-colahellenic.com
