Sparkling success Bambi

SPARKLING SUCCESS

Bambi is the clear brand leader in eastern Europe when it comes to confectionery, and Banat is the country’s brand leader in the soft drinks sector. Bambi Banat/Knjaz Milos’ success has attracted the attention of the international venture capital company, Mid European Partners (MEP), which plans to grow the business with a €10 million investment in a new state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Serbia. Philip Yorke reports.

Bambi was founded in 1894 by Samual Svarc who opened a confectionery factory called ‘Canditen Fabric’. The company saw consistent growth over the years and today produces more than 250,000 tonnes of confectionery products annually. Bambi Banat was founded in 2007 in Belgrade as a result of a merger with one of the oldest chocolate and candy factories in Serbia, Banat Vrsac. The company now operates as part of the Danube Foods Group, which also owns the five largest dairies, led by Imlek, as well as owning the largest producer of mineral water in Serbia, Knjaz Milos.

Last year another milestone was reached in the company’s history when the Mid Europe Partners private equity group acquired the Danube Foods Group (DFG). The deal valued the DFG at more than €630 million and the company had revenues in 2015 of over €400 million. Bambi Banat’s business philosophy is based upon a commitment towards consumers, innovation, uniqueness and a broad portfolio of leading brands that enjoy the trust of consumers. In addition, the company subscribes to the highest quality standards and environmental protection measures.

As part of the Danube foods group, Knjaz Milos can build on its centuries of tradition manufacturing natural, healthy water as well as non-alcoholic beverages, which offer consumers refreshment and revitalisation throughout the day. The Knjaz products are created on 10 state-of-the-art, fully automated production lines which create between 17,000 and 24,000 bottles per hour. This amounts to a daily output of more than one million litres per day, resulting in an annual capacity of over 500 million litres. Today the company is one of the leading European mineral water manufacturers and is acknowledged as the most successful brand in Serbia. The planned €10 million investment in new plant will significantly enhance this output.

Sparkling results

Knjaz Milos is one of the few mineral waters in the world that has a very specific composition. The water is characterised by an ideal calcium to magnesium ratio (2:1), which allows for optimal absorption in the human body. It is also one of the oldest Serbian brands and is often one of the first things that comes to mind when thinking about Serbia.

A two-century long tradition underscores the purity and the quality of Knjaz Milos’s water and the quality is further enhanced by the fact that all of the natural springs are located within the undamaged ecosystem of the famous Arandelovac Spa.

Aqua Viva is another extremely successful Knjaz Milo brand, taken from the crystalline waters of Bukulja. Thanks to the natural character-

istics of the spring, Aqua Viva is protected from all outside influences. Only Aqua Viva contains the optimineral complex, which represents an optimal balance between minerals, salts and oligoeliments.

Successful brands

The company’s Golf Juices are natural juices which do not contain artificial colours, aromas or preservatives. Golf Juices are renowned for their individual glass bottle packaging and practical twist-off cap, which follows HoReCa marketing and design trends.

Knjaz Milos has a broad portfolio of successful brands and for decades has been the symbol of quality mineral water in Serbia. It is loved by its countless consumers for its sharp taste and perfect balance between calcium and magnesium. The company has recently responded to its consumers’ preferences by launching a new, mild, sparkling Knjaz Milos mineral water, which is distinguished by an identical mineral composition, but with milder carbonation characteristics.

Aqua Viva is another leading non-sparkling bottled water and is the first functional water on the Serbian market. By recognising changing consumer needs, the company created a specialised product called Aqua Viva Sport, which consists of a hydro-active ingredient. There is also its ‘Recharge’ and ‘Slim’ variants for those in need of faster rehydration.

For the younger generation the company has developed a new line pf beverages called Aqua Viva Junior, which has an added vitamin B complex. Finally, the company has recently introduced a new ‘Mojito’ flavour to its best-selling energy drink, Guarana. n

For further details of Knjaz Milo’s innovative health drinks and mineral water and Bambi Banat’s unique confectionary ranges visit: www.knjaz.co.rs