Kofola posts record sales figures

Czech soft-drink producer Kofola has increased its sales to 5.5 billion crowns, which is the best results in the company’s history. The company’s sales in the first three quarters of the year have increased by over 16 percent year-on-year. Kofola announced the results in a press report released on Monday.

Photo: Martin Strachoň, CC BY-SA 3.0

According to the company’s spokeswoman Jaroslava Musilová, this year’s favourable results were mainly affected by the acquisition of the Slovenian mineral water producer Radenska, as well as by taking over the distribution of Rauch fruit juices.

According to the press release, the local network of fresh fruit and vegetable juice bars UGO, acquired by Kofola in 2013, have increased its sales by 65 percent year-on-year. Czech Kofola is one of the leading non-alcoholic drinks companies in Central Europe. This year the company boosted its position on the mineral water and soft drinks market by acquiring the Slovenia mineral water producer Radenska and a 40 per cent stake in its rival Slovak company Water Holding. Kofola already owns another major Slovak-based mineral water company Rajec.

Kofola switched its headquarters this year from Warsaw to Ostrava. The drinks’company currently operates eight production plants, in the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Russia. It currently employs around 2300 people, with roughly 700 of them in the Czech Republic.

Apart from the carbonated soft-drink Kofola, the company also produces fruit syrups under the name Jupí, children’s drinks Jupík, the Semtex energy drink and other soft drink under the brands Chito, Top- Topic and Citro Cola.

In August this year, Kofola opened its first brand restaurant in Prague, called NaGrilu. The venue offers fast food, with an emphasis on healthy and fresh ingredients, as well as beverages by the company as well as fresh fruit and vegetable juice from UGO. If successful, the flagship restaurant should pave the way for dozens of more to follow, using a franchise model.

In October, the Czech soft-drinks producer made its debut on the Prague Stock Exchange. It has been given what is termed a “technical listing” with no shares as yet changing hands. The company’s shares should be fully launched and trading on the Prague Stock Exchange by the end of the year.