High Court judge approves Carlsberg’s £3.3bn takeover of Britvic
Carlsberg’s £3.3bn deal to buy J2O maker Britvic has been approved by a High Court judge.
The Danish brewery plans to create a single integrated drinks business called Carlsberg Britvic following the takeover.
The deal for Britvic was agreed in July after the soft drinks giant rejected two previous bids.
It was then announced in September that the deal was being investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) over concerns that the takeover could result in a substantial lessening of competition.
Mr Justice Hildyard sanctioned the takeover at a short hearing today, stating the deal “could be and should be approved”.
The Robinsons and Tango maker has its headquarters in Hemel Hampstead but comes from roots in Somerset and has factories in Rugby, London and Leeds, as well as offices in Tamworth and Solihull.
It employs around 4,500 people.
Carlsberg Britvic will be led by a management team comprised of individuals from Carsberg, Britvic and CMBC and take advantage of the “highly synergistic relationship between beer and soft drinks”.
