The Soufflet Group announced on July 8 it has recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Baltic Beverages Holding (B.B.H.) concerning the take-over of the Slavuta Maltings in Ukraine.

The Slavuta Maltings are the major Ukrainian maltings, with a production capacity of 70.000 tons/annum, said Soufflet. B.B.H. is the major Brewery in Eastern Europe, with a total beer production as of today of 23 million hl.
B.B.H. owns breweries in the Baltic States, Ukraine, Russia and Kazakhstan. B.B.H., who acquired the Slavuta Maltings in 1999, has decided to concentrate its efforts on the Brewing industry.

With this operation, the Soufflet Group, the world's largest maltster, continues its development in Eastern Europe, which started in 1998. Soufflet Maltings will be producing in eight countries: France, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. With this acquisition, the Soufflet Group malting capacity reaches 1.355.000 tons.

The Soufflet Group will develop the malting barley production in Ukraine for the supply of the Slavuta Maltings. It is intended to increase the Maltings' production capacity in order to accompany the important development of the B.B.H. breweries in this country.

08 July, 2003