Jägermeister Acquires Sidney Frank Importing Company
Acquisition to offer an increasingly rich and deeper brand experience
Wolfenbüttel, Germany – August 3, 2015 — Mast-Jägermeister SE (MJ) announced today that it has acquired 100 percent of the stock of Sidney Frank Importing Company, Inc. (SFIC), its former U.S.-based importer.
With the closing of the deal on August 3, 2015, Mast-Jägermeister now controls all dimensions of the brand’s value chain including 2/3 of its global distribution, as well as all logistics, sales, promotions and marketing in its three biggest markets: the U.S., Germany and UK. This position gives MJ a more robust presence in these trendsetting markets and bolsters its ability to create brand experiences shaped by market-in-region experts.
“SFIC and its people have been integral to the success of the Jägermeister brand in the U.S. and, as we have previously stated, acquiring the company is the logical next step in our long-term strategy for both the U.S. market and our company,” said Michael Volke, Member of the Executive Board of Mast-Jägermeister. “The U.S. is the largest Jägermeister market in the world. Given this lighthouse role for the global spirits industry, we are confident this move will strengthen the future development of our brand in the U.S. and beyond.”
Based in New Rochelle, NY, SFIC employs approximately 180 people and has a network of distributors and brokers throughout the U.S. Now a wholly-owned subsidiary of MJ, the company will retain and operate under its existing name, “Sidney Frank Importing Company.” With this acquisition approximately 1/3 of Jägermeister’s employees are in the U.S and UK markets.
MJ has rapidly grown internationally to become a Top 10 best-selling premium spirit brand worldwide. “This success story would have not been possible without strong local partners, such as SFIC, which built Jägermeister in the U.S. market since 1974,” continued Volke.
The financial details of the deal will not be disclosed since both companies are privately owned.
About Mast-Jägermeister SE
Mast-Jägermeister SE is firmly rooted in Wolfenbüttel in the German region of Lower Saxony. The company has produced its globally successful herbal liqueur based on a secret recipe of 56 different herbs, blossoms and roots at this site, for over 80 years. Today, around 900 employees worldwide work for the Wolfenbüttel-based family company. In 2014, Mast-Jägermeister SE sold 87.1 million 0.7-litre bottles in 108 countries across the globe. This consolidates the 8th place awarded to Jägermeister in the global sector-specific Impact ranking of all international premium spirits.