The Coca-Cola Company and Aujan Group Holding Announce Formation of Two New World-Class Beverage Companies
(02/24/2015) The Coca-Cola Company and Aujan Group Holding today announced the formation of two new world-class beverage companies, the Aujan Coca-Cola Beverages Company and Rani Refreshments, following the successful investment by The Coca-Cola Company into approximately half of Aujan’s beverage business.
Rani Refreshments will hold the global rights to brands such as Rani and Barbican, while the Aujan Coca-Cola Beverages Company will be an authorised manufacturer and distributer of its products. The Aujan Coca-Cola Beverages Company will also be the licensed manufacturer in the Middle East of VIMTO.
The two companies will mirror the Coca-Cola system, which comprises The Coca-Cola Company and its nearly 300 bottling partners worldwide, with Rani Refreshments supplying the Aujan Coca-Cola Beverages Company with proprietary concentrate, which will then produce, sell and distribute the finished product to markets across the Middle East and beyond.
“Today’s announcement puts the final seal on the largest-ever investment by a multinational firm in the Middle East’s fast moving consumer goods sector, and marks the next stage of development for our group and our brands,” said Sheikh Adel Aujan, Chairman of Aujan Group Holding. “The structure has created a platform to unlock new international opportunities for Aujan’s brands and begins the next era of growth across the MENA region for the Coca-Cola system.”
Roland Ebelt will serve as General Manager of Rani Refreshments. He joins from The Coca-Cola Company where he was most recently the General Manager of the Coca-Cola Innovation Company in the MENA region, with responsibility for the strategic direction of still beverages as well as for the development and commercialisation of new concepts and products.
“Although the relationship between The Coca-Cola Company and Aujan Group Holding is still new, we are already seeing real operational benefits, from the way we manufacture our products to the way we develop our brands. With our reorganisation now complete, we have total confidence that this new structure will allow both companies to build on their shared heritage of success to benefit our consumers, suppliers and partners for many years to come,” added Aujan.
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About The Coca-Cola Company
The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) is the world’s largest beverage company, refreshing consumers with more than 500 sparkling and still brands. Led by Coca-Cola, the world’s most valuable brand, our Company’s portfolio features 16 billion-dollar brands including Diet Coke, Fanta, Sprite, Coca-Cola Zero, vitaminwater, Powerade, Minute Maid, Simply, Georgia and Del Valle. Globally, we are the No. 1 provider of sparkling beverages, ready-to-drink coffees, and juices and juice drinks. Through the world’s largest beverage distribution system, consumers in more than 200 countries enjoy our beverages at a rate of more than 1.8 billion servings a day. With an enduring commitment to building sustainable communities, our Company is focused on initiatives that reduce our environmental footprint, support active, healthy living, create a safe, inclusive work environment for our associates, and enhance the economic development of the communities where we operate. Together with our bottling partners, we rank among the world’s top 10 private employers with more than 700,000 system employees. For more information, please visit www.coca-colacompany.com, follow us on Twitter at twitter.com/CocaColaCo or visit our blog at www.coca-colablog.com.
About Aujan Group Holding:
Aujan Group Holding (AGH) is a diversified investment company active in a wide range of industry sectors, including soft drinks, packaging materials, hospitality, real estate and mining. With a history dating back over a hundred years, AGH has successfully leveraged its geographical footprint and industry experience to become a regional corporate powerhouse.
The Group’s operations are focused on the fast growing Middle East, North Africa and Southern Africa regions, but its brands are present in more than 70 countries across the globe.
Wherever it operates, AGH is an active and focused investor, adding managerial and technical capability to each business. The Group’s diversified companies include Aujan Coca-Cola Beverages Company (ACCBC) and Rani Refreshments (RR), a recent US$ 1 Billion joint venture with The Coca-Cola Company, and Rani Investments, which manages a number of real estate and hotel interests, including Rani Resorts in Southern Africa.