BOISSET JOINS BIBENDUM TO OPEN UK OFFICE

Published: 23 July, 2008

By Jack Hibberd

Burgundy-based producer Boisset has become the second wine company to launch a UK office in a joint venture with Bibendum. The partnership follows the same business model as the Bibendum-Lion Nathan link-up announced last week, with the producer owning 51% of the join-venture and Bibendum owning 49%. The new company, Boisset UK Limited, will be managed by Christophe Heymann and will provide Boisset with a direct face for the UK market'. Dan Jago, managing director of Bibendum, said that the joint venture model is an idea that we are looking to extend', although no further deals are expected in the short term. I believe that in this marketplace customers want to be as close to the supplier as possible and deal with them directly,' said Jago. The old business model where the agent negotiates on behalf of both producer and customer has certain limitations. Producers are feeling that paying a flat percentage to the agent on deals (whether or not the producer is making much profit) is unfair. In this model you share both the risks and the profits, and any arrangement has to be a win-win situation.'

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