SABMiller acquires Sparks and Steel Reserve brands

03/07/06 SABMiller plc has announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the Sparks and Steel Reserve brands and related trademarks from US contract brewing partner McKenzie River Corporation for a cash consideration of US$215m. In addition, SABMiller and McKenzie River have agreed an ongoing new product development partnership.

Sparks is a citrus flavored premium malt beverage with added caffeine, taurine, guarana and ginseng and is the leader in the high growth caffeinated alcoholic malt beverage category. The brand is available in three variants: Sparks Orange (original), Sparks Plus and Sparks Light. Sparks achieved a compound annual growth rate of 107 percent between 2003 and 2005, selling 317,000 hl in 2005.

Steel Reserve is a high gravity lager which is slow brewed for a minimum of 28 days. It is the leading brand in the US high gravity lager category and has grown at a 35 percent compound annual growth rate between 2003 and 2005 with a total of 1.6 million hl sold in 2005.

McKenzie River is a San Francisco based beverage marketing firm with an impressive track record for innovation aimed at developing new products. The company, which was founded in 1987 by President Minott Wessinger, launched the Steel Reserve brand in 1997 and the Sparks brand in 2002. Completion of the transaction is subject to the customary review by U.S. antitrust authorities

Norman Adami, President and CEO of Miller Brewing Company, commented: “Sparks and Steel Reserve will have an immediate positive impact on our growth profile. In addition, our new product development relationship with Minott Wessinger connects us with a very special guy when it comes to innovation.”