Commenting on the new Coke deal, Innocent co-founder Richard Reed said: “The headline is it’s been a good 12 months for Innocent: our sales are up, we’ve grown our business in Europe and Coke have been the hands-off investor they promised to be. They’ve helped whenever we’ve asked, haven’t interfered and have been great people to work with.
“With the relationship working well, we’ve agreed for Coke to buy some more shares in Innocent, principally those of Innocent’s original investor Maurice Pinto. Maurice is now 76 and wants to retire, so this is the opportunity for him to realise the value he’s helped create. We’re really happy for him.
“As for us, we’re selling a minority of our shares, but keeping the majority of them, and we will continue to lead the business, with no change or loss of control. The deal gives no new rights to Coke. In short, it’s ‘smoothies as usual’, with Innocent continuing to be run as a standalone business by us, the founders.
“As before, the mission and values of Innocent remain unchanged. We will continue to focus on our 30-year goal of establishing Innocent as ‘The Earth’s Favourite Little Healthy Food and Drinks Company’. And all our Innocent promises – to make only natural, healthy food and drink, to push harder for higher social and environmental standards across our business, and to contribute 10% of profits to charity – remain as true as ever.
“We’re excited about this next chapter for Innocent. Simply put, it will help us do more of what we’re here to do: get natural, healthy food and drink to as many people as possible.”
Source: Innocent Drinks, Daily Telegraph, BBC
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