MUMBAI: Allied Blenders & Distillers (ABD) today said it has acquired the Bengal-based Wales Distilleries for an undisclosed amount.
Wales Distilleries is a modern distillery with a state-of- the-art blending and bottling plant, the Kishore Chhabria- promoted company said in a statement.
ABD's association with Wales Distilleries dates back two years when it commissioned Wales Distillery to bottle ABD brands.
ABD now plans to further modernise the plant and start producing its entire portfolio of brands and the acquisition of the 100 per cent stake will help ABD improve its already strong presence in the state, wherein it has over 21 per cent market share.
Wales Distilleries' bottling plant has a capacity of 1 lakh cases per month and ABD plans to scale it up to 1.5 lakh shortly.
On the buyout, ABD Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Deepak Roy said, "The deal will further strengthen our presence in the Eastern markets and is a first in a series of moves that will fuel our expansion plans."
Wales Distilleries will be ABD's first company owned unit in the Eastern region.
Bengal as a market is of strategic importance to ABD and last year it sold over 1.5 million cases with a growth of over 50 per cent over the previous fiscal.
ABD owns the world's largest whisky brand Officer's Choice.
