Refresco has sold the brand rights of fruit drinks brand Wicky to the local Dutch soft beverages business Riedel.
Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
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A joint statement from the companies said the deal would give the Wicky brand “the opportunity to realise its full potential within an organisation focused on building and growing strong brands”.
The fruit drink brand, which is sold in the Netherlands and Belgium, comes in several flavours, including strawberry, orange and raspberry.
Refresco’s Benelux unit will continue to produce the brand, “ensuring continued quality and continuity for retail partners and customers”, the statement said.
Based in Elde, in the center-east Gelderland province, Riedel produces fruit drinks and juices under brands such as Appelsientje, CoolBest and Taksi.
It claims to be “the market leader in the Dutch fruit beverage category”. The group also produces beverages for private-label customers.
“The addition of Wicky fits perfectly with our strategy to further strengthen our portfolio of strong fruit drink brands,” Bas Boswinkel, the managing director at Riedel said in the joint statement.
“With iconic brands such as Appelsientje, CoolBest and DubbelFrisss, we already have a strong position in the fruit drinks segment. Wicky is a natural fit. We also look forward to working with Refresco, an experienced and professional partner in beverage manufacturing that knows the Wicky brand inside out.”
Riedel employs 225 people and has been owned by the Dutch investment firm Standard Investment since 2017, when it acquired the brand from local dairy giant FrieslandCampina.
“Wicky is a brand with a rich history and a strong position within the refreshing fruit drinks segment,” said Alexander van Assouw, the managing director of Refresco’s Benelux arm. “We are confident that Riedel, with its proven brand expertise, can give Wicky the attention and support it deserves and take the brand into its next phase.”
Refresco’s Benelux unit produces drinks for retailers and brands in the Netherlands and Belgium. It operates six sites across the two countries. The Benelux unit’s headquarters are located in Maarheeze in the Dutch North Brabant province.
Last month, Refresco struck a deal to snap up the business operations of insolvent German mineral-water and soft-drinks group Rhenser Mineralbrunnen.
The move followed an agreement being reached with Rhenser Mineralbrunnen’s provisional insolvency administrator and company MD Holger Sieck. A creditors’ committee for the business had also approved the transaction.
In a statement at the time, Refresco said the deal would ensure the “preservation and continuation” of the Rhens-based company.
