The whisky and spirits company Inver House Distillers has announced on October 29 that it has become a fully-owned subsidiary of International Beverage Holdings, the international arm of Thai Beverages.
Inver House was an independent company until 2001, when it became owned by Pacific Spirits, part of Great Oriole Group based in the British Virgin Islands. This BVI company is controlled by Thai entrepreneur Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi, who has significant interests in Thai Beverages.
It was marked by company representatives that the acquisition of Inver House by Thai Beverages brought the benefits of integration into a multi-beverage group of companies with international distribution, platforms and sales networks. The company declined to reveal the value of the acquisition, but from some sources it was understood to be worth approximately £60m. The combined value of the two companies after the merger is expected to be HK$1bn.
Inver House Distillers are now going to work in partnership with the International Beverage Holdings in Hong Kong and in other parts of south-east Asia, having received the possibility to offer a wider portfolio for the company’s customer base. The acquisition deal will also bring other advantages to the Inver House, including an increased focus on the development of Inver House Distillers’ brand portfolio, based on the success of its single malt whiskies and a range of whisky blends.
Having become part of Hong-Kong based InterBev, Inver House will join a stable or dynamic international alcohol beverage brands. Graham Stevenson, Inver House managing director, said: “Our single malt whisky brands and our blends are currently growing in terms of stature and volume, both in the UK and abroad, thanks to the dedicated team we have working in the business. The shift into InterBev will allow us to capitalise on this success, and it will make an enormous difference in terms of improving our route to market and facilitating exciting brand development and expansion in the future.”