GERMANY: Coke gets Appolinaris go-ahead

By just-drinks.com editorial team | 6 July 2006

Coca-Cola Deutschland has been given the green light to complete its purchase of German mineral water brand Apollinaris, according to local reports.

Germany's Süddeutsche Zeitung said yesterday (5 July) that Coke's German unit received the go-ahead to buy Apollinaris by the relevant antitrust authorities earlier this week.

In May, Coke confirmed that it bought the Hamburg-based company from private equity firms Lion Capital and Blackstone. Apollinaris produces around 195m litres of its drink each year, about 6% of Coca-Cola Deutschland's annual volumes.

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