Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard S.A.
Société Anonyme
Traded as Euronext: RI
Industry Drinks
Founded 1975
Headquarters Paris, France
Key people
Danièle Ricard (Chairwoman), Pierre Pringuet (CEO), Alexandre Ricard (Deputy CEO and Director)[1]
Products Distilled beverages
Revenue 7.643 billion (2010/2011)[2]
€1.852 billion (2010/2011)[2]
Profit €1.045 billion (2010/2011)[2]
Total assets €25.70 billion (June 2011)[2]
Total equity €9.474 billion (June 2011)[2]
Number of employees
18,230 (June 2011)[2]
Website pernod-ricard.com
Pernod in a glass with water and ice.

Pernod Ricard is a French company that produces distilled beverages. The company's eponymous products, Pernod Anise and Ricard Pastis, are both anise-flavoured liqueurs and are often referred to simply as Pernod or Ricard. The company also produces several other types of pastis.

After the banning of absinthe, Pernod Ricard was created from the Pernod Fils company, which had produced absinthe. It is now a worldwide conglomerate.

Pernod Ricard owns the distilled beverage division of the former corporation Seagram, along with many other holdings. In 2005, the company acquired a British-based competitor, Allied Domecq plc.

In 2008, Pernod Ricard announced its acquisition of Swedish-based V&S Group, which produces Absolut Vodka.

History

Pernod

Main article: Pernod Fils

Ricard

Pernod Ricard

Subsidiaries

Brands

Head office of Pernod Ricard, 12 place des États-Unis, Paris, 16th arr.

Pernod Ricard owns a wide variety of beverage brands worldwide. These include:

As of 26 July 2005, the brand portfolio expanded to include former Allied Domecq products:

  • Tia Maria liqueur
  • Stolichnaya vodka (which is now under William Grant & Sons)
  • Mumm champagne
  • Perrier-Jouët champagne
  • Campo Viejo wine
  • Ysios wine
  • Aura wine
  • Azpilicueta wine
  • Tarsus wine
  • Siglo wine

Lincolnshire, Illinois-based Fortune Brands acquired a number of former Allied Domecq brands from Pernod Ricard following Pernod Ricard's acquisition of Allied Domecq. These include:

Fortune Brands' agreement with Pernod Ricard also included the purchase of the Maker's Mark bourbon brand, which remained subject to regulatory clearance in the United States. While the U.S. Federal Trade Commission conducted its review, Maker's Mark was owned and managed by Pernod Ricard and Pernod Ricard received the earnings from the brand. Fortune Brands was compensated with interest payments upon transfer of the brand.[5]

Yoo-hoo chocolate beverage (notably non-alcoholic) was sold to Pernod Ricard in 1989, and in 2001 Pernod Ricard sold it to Cadbury Schweppes.

Controversies

Property rights conflict over the Havana Club trademark

The Havana Club brand was lost to its founders, the Arechabala family, due to the 1959 Cuban Revolution, and an ongoing legal battle opposes the claimed trademark owners in the US to the joint-venture between Pernod Ricard and the Cuban State-owned company Corporación Cuba Ron. The Havana Club trademark remains unchallenged elsewhere in the world, having been validated by court decisions in a number of countries other than the US.[6][7][8]

See also

References

Notes

External links