Altia acquires the Xanté brand
Altia Plc has signed an agreement to acquire The Xanté Company and the Xanté spirits brand from the Swedish Tilander family. As a strong, widely recognised premium brand, Xanté reinforces Altia’s position in the Nordic alcoholic beverage business and will play an important role in Altia’s international portfolio development. The brand is visible especially in the Nordics and international Travel Retail.
Altia’s strategy is based on two cornerstones – building own brands and providing a leading Nordic and Baltic route–to–market service for partners to develop their business.
“The acquisition of the Xanté premium brand represents a perfect fit with Altia’s strategy by expanding our market presence in the Nordics and Baltics and increasing our critical mass in the Nordic Travel Retail and in the international alcoholic beverage business,” says Antti Pankakoski, CEO of Altia.
The acquisition of the Xanté brand is a natural continuation in executing Altia’s growth strategy. Altia acquired a portfolio of Swedish and Danish heritage spirits and wine brands as well as the Renault Cognac brand in 2010. ”It is a great honour to take over responsibility of the Xanté brand. We think that there is a great potential to develop the Xanté brand as a part of Altia’s portfolio in the future,” Pankakoski continues.
Jörgen Tilander, owner of The Xanté Company AB: ”We are very proud of Xanté and our record of developing the brand into a leading premium spirits brand in the Nordics. In fact, we look forward to continuing working with the brand as we will maintain the exclusive license to sell the brand in the USA and Canada. We look forward to being partners with Altia and to continue to build a success for Xanté on the world’s biggest spirits market – The USA.”
The unique premium spirit Xanté is a balanced blend of sweet Belgium pears and cognac from specially selected French distilleries. Xanté is conceived with cognacs matured for four years in barrels made from the finest French Limousine Oak that draws out the rich amber colour and fragrant notes of spicy vanilla and pear. Xanté contains no artificial ingredients. Its maturing process results in natural sweetening and allows the sugar content to remain at 17%.
Further information:
Antti Pankakoski, CEO, Altia Plc, tel. +358 207 013 001
Jörgen Tilander, Owner, The Xanté Company AB, tel. +46 705 90 22 42
Altia is the leading wine and spirits company offering quality brands in the Nordic and Baltic countries. Altia produces, markets, sells, imports and exports alcoholic beverages in its market area. Altia serves its consumers, customers and partners close to markets with its wide production, sales and logistic set-up. Annual net sales amounts to approximately 500 million euro and the total number of personnel is approximately 1,200.
Altia’s own brands such as Blossa, Chill Out, Explorer, Grönstedts, Jaloviina, Koskenkorva, O.P. Anderson, Renault and Skåne Akvavit have a strong market position and a long heritage to cherish. Altia’s partner brands represent both local and international brands from all over the world, such as Codorníu, Drosty-Hof, Hardy’s, Jack Daniel’s, Bowmore, Nederburg, Ravenswood and Robert Mondavi.
Jörgen Tilander had a long successful career in investment banking and as an entrepreneur before starting to build his own investment portfolio in the early 1990s. The family’s business would best be described as “Venture Capital” and the investment portfolio consists of companies in various fields of business including financial services, TV-broadcasting, alcoholic beverages and leisure. Mr Tilander’s son Fredrik Tilander (b. 1972) is heading the day to day management of the investment portfolio. The investment focus is Scandinavian entrepreneurial companies and investments are typically made at an early phase stage. The Tilander family is also owner of the Danish icon spirits brand ‘Cherry Heering’, famous ingredient of the “Singapore Sling”.
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