King Beverage Ltd the current distributors of Carlsberg beer have won distributorship of several world

class drinks to be distributed locally. These include Jim Beam, Courvoisier, Teacher’s and Laphroaig single malt among others.

Edrington Fix Middle East (EFME) & King Beverage are delighted to formally announce the start of a new partnership in Kenya for the Beam Suntory Portfolio.

Edrington FIX Middle East (EFME) was established as a joint venture between FIX Wines and Spirits and Edrington in 2013 and represents Edrington, Beam Suntory, Berry Bros & Rudd & Symington Family Estates across a number of markets in the Middle East, Levant, and North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa region.

Kenya is arguably East Africa’s powerhouse market, estimated to be in excess of 3,000,000 cases of spirits in 2015 (IWSR 2015 report) & beyond its scale it remains very influential for the wider East Africa region.

Imported premium brands are growing quickly driven by demand from the emerging middle class as they embrace the history and heritage of premium international brands.

“I am genuinely excited about this new partnership between Edrington Fix Middle East and King Beverage as from the outset I felt a great respect for both their people & their professionalism. The potential of the Kenyan market is obvious but finding the right partner for the Beam Suntory portfolio to craft a new story in East-Africa and build an ambitious vision was a priority for us.  I am confident that we will be able to make history together with Beam Suntory teams working hand-in-hand to build and grow our exciting portfolio of bourbons, cognac and single malts”. Igor Boyadijian – EFME Managing Director.

“We are pleased to bring to the Kenyan market, world class premium spirits through our partnership with

EFME. Leveraging on our understanding of the local market, our goal is to work with likeminded International Partners to tap into the growing consumer base and create value not only to our shareholders, but most importantly to our consumers and customers” explained John Ngelu the General Manager of King Beverage.

King Beverage Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Centum Investment Company.

King Beverage adds the world’s third biggest spirits company, Beam Suntory, to its existing partnership with Carlsberg Breweries to create a powerful & multi-category alcohol distributor within the Kenyan market. King Beverage mission and vision is to be the most progressive beverage partner in East Africa. This will be achieved by providing a relevant and and innovative portfolio of quality alcoholic brands. To date, King Beverage has developed a substantial route to market footprint in major urban towns in Kenya with the aim of expanding the current portfolio.

From left to right: Quentin Dubois, Edrington Fix Regional Manager Eastern Africa and Indian Ocean, John Ngelu, King Beverage General Manager, James Mworia, Centum Group CEO, Igor Boyadjian Edrington Fix Managing Director and Doctor Chris Kirubi Centum Investment Committee chair at the signing of the distribution deal at International House Nairobi

About Centum 

Centum seeks to be Africa’s foremost investment channel providing investors with access to a portfolio of

otherwise inaccessible, quality and diversified investments in Financial Services,  Real Estate, FMCG,  Agriculture, Energy, Healthcare, Education and ICT sectors. As at September 31, 2015, Centum had over KES 46 Billion of its own assets under management and over KES 145 Billion of third party assets under management. Centum also owns and manages other beverage companies such as Almasi and Nairobi Bottlers which are involved in the bottling and distribution of Coca-Cola products across Kenya

About Beam Suntory

As the world’s third largest premium spirits company, Beam Suntory is crafting the Spirits Brands that Stir the World. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company’s brands, including the iconic Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark bourbon brands and Suntory whisky Kakubin, as well as world renowned premium brands including Knob Creek bourbon, Yamazaki, Hakushu and Hibiki Japanese whiskies, Teacher’s, Laphroaig, and Bowmore Scotch whiskies, Canadian Club whisky, Courvoisier cognac, Sauza tequila, Pinnacle vodka, and Midori liqueur.

Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and commitment to Growing for Good. Headquartered in Deerfield, Illinois, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan. For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit  www.beamsuntory.com and  www.drinksmart.com