The shareholders of OAO Nidan Soki (“Nidan”) and Lion Capital LLP (“Lion”) are pleased to announce that an agreement has been reached whereby Lion will acquire Nidan, a leading branded juice producer in Russia. Lion is acquiring the company in a private transaction which, conditional upon regulatory approval, is expected to close in September. No financial details of the transaction are being released.
Nidan is the third largest juice producer in Russia, and the market leader in Siberia. The company’s portfolio of branded juice products is led by its flagship brand, Moya Semya, which enjoys a leading position and high level of consumer awareness in the largest and fastest growing segment of the Russian juice market. Nidan is headquartered in Moscow, and employs approximately 2,500 employees in its facilities located in Novosibirsk and Moscow. In its most recent financial year, the company generated sales of approximately $270 million.
Commenting on the agreement, Nidan founder and Chairman, Igor Shilov said:
“We are very excited about the opportunity to partner with Lion Capital. Lion was our preferred investment partner as a result of their breadth of experience in investing in and operating consumer businesses, particularly within the beverages sub-sector. There exists a tremendous opportunity in the Russian juice market, driven by increasing per capita income and the growing importance of healthier consumption, and we believe that Lion Capital is uniquely positioned to support the future growth and expansion of our business within this attractive market environment.”
Javier Ferrán, Partner of Lion Capital, said:
“Nidan has an attractive portfolio of branded juice offerings with strong positions in one of the largest and fastest growing juice markets in the world. The management team has done an excellent job of building brand recognition and growing its market share while capitalising on Russian consumers’ trend towards ‘healthier’ beverage consumption. We believe there is a compelling opportunity to continue Nidan’s strong financial performance through product innovation, expanded paths to market and investment behind the brands.”
Andrea Ponti, Managing Director at Goldman Sachs, said:
“Lion Capital has an impressive track record in the consumer sector and Nidan has a compelling opportunity to capitalize on the fast growing Russian consumer market. We are delighted to be the exclusive advisor to Lion Capital and to be providing the financing for this ground-breaking transaction.”
Nidan was advised by Troika Dialog. Lion Capital was advised by Goldman Sachs, who also provided financing.
