VERKOOP VAN VIP-JUICEMAKER AAN REFRESCO HOLDING

VIP-Juicemaker is one of the leading fruit juice and carbonated soft drinks producers in Finland. The company sells its products under its own brand VIP, but also supplies the larger grocery retailers in the region with private label products. For 2004 VIP-Juicemaker is expected to realise a turnover of approximately EUR 35 million. As part of Refresco, VIP-Juicemaker Oy will be able to obtain considerable growth particularly in Scandinavia, the Baltics and Russia. With the acquisition of VIP-Juicemaker, Refresco expands its position in the Scandinavian juice and carbonated soft drinks market significantly and will also provide the group access to other growth markets in the Nordic region.

Refresco is an internationally expanding company engaged in the production and sale of fruit juice and soft drinks. Products are primarily sold as private label to grocery retailers across Europe. The company aims to be a leading European manufacturer of fruit juice and soft drinks and its strategy is to create a European platform of reliable and suitable fruit juice and soft drinks manufacturers. Refresco follows its clients throughout Europe. The company has 10 production facilities across Europe including in the Netherlands (1), Germany (5), France (1) and Spain (3). Refresco offers a production capacity of over 11.5 million units per day on its 80 production lines. In 2003, Refresco achieved a turnover of approximately EUR 550 million. The company employs 1,050 people.

Refresco is backed by leading private equity firm 3i, which facilitates the group’s European buy-and-build strategy.

Holland Corporate Finance is a member of M&A International Inc., the largest international network of independent corporate finance advisory firms. Together with its Finnish partner firm Holland Corporate Finance acted on behalf of the shareholder of VIP-Juicemaker in this transaction.