In April 2005, Pernod Ricard announced a friendly offer for the Allied Domecq Group in partnership with Fortune Brands. Three months later, following the successful acquisition of the Allied business, we became the world's No.1 Spirits company outside the United States.
The impact this has had on our business is far reaching and extends across the globe. We now have a much stronger presence in North America (the world's largest Spirits market), where our previous market share has more than doubled, and Asia has become our 2nd largest market representing 20% of the company's sales volume. Our on-going success is due to a powerful corporate strategy:
- concentrating on key brands
- developing strong local or regional brands and wholly-owned distribution networks in all major markets
- motivating talented employees through a highly decentralized organization
In the UK, the Allied acquisition represents an extremely significant and exciting opportunity for Pernod Ricard to capitalise on what is a greatly strengthened brand portfolio. A key element to our business strategy is our commitment to growing and investing in our brands, as such we have embarked on a considerable recruitment campaign across the business to attract the highest calibre people who can lead us with drive and energy throughout 2006 and beyond...
