BELGRADE (Serbia), October 1 (SeeNews) – Serbian water bottler Knjaz Milos, owned by UK-based investment fund Salford Capital Partners, has forecast a net revenue of 3.06 billion dinars ($47.9 million/32.9 million euro) and an operating profit of 833.4 million dinars for the second half of 2009.
No comparative data was immediately available.
Knjaz Milos posted 576.8 million dinars in operating profit last year on operating revenue of 6.7 billion dinars, its 2008 consolidated statement showed.
“In the second half of 2009, the company plans to launch new offerings and further expand its existing product line,” Knjaz Milos said in a filing to the Belgrade Stock Exchange late on Wednesday.
The company also said it expects to move a total of 124.4 million litres of drinks in the six-month period through December 31, 2009.
Knjaz Milos, located in the central town of Arandjelovac, is the leading water bottler in Serbia with a 44% market share, Salford said last year.
Other major bottled water brands on the Serbian market include Karadjordje, bottled by Palanacki Kiseljak, owned by Slovenia's Droga Kolinska, Heba, Rosa, owned by Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company, Minaqua and Voda Vrnjci.
Besides Knjaz Milos, Salford also owns Serbian dairy company Imlek and confectionery maker Bambi-Banat as well as several dairy firms in Bosnia, Montenegro and Macedonia.
(1 euro=93.0862 Serbian dinars)