Spiribam, the house of Groupe Bernard Hayot’s (GBH) spirits brands, has acquired the Joseph Cartron Company. The acquisition will expand Spiribam outside of premium rum and further into specialty spirits, adding a wide range of fruit liqueurs, brandies, and vermouths.
“I couldn’t be more excited for this new development for our young company,” exclaimed Benjamin Jones, Spiribam’s Director of North America. “We have patiently waited for the correct opportunity to diversify outside of rum. The union with a French company that shares so many of the same time-honored traditions, valued passions, and being a recognized expert of their craft make the synergies with our rum distilleries too good to pass up. We are ready for this new challenge.”
The ties between Spiribam and the Joseph Cartron Company run deep, so the idea for these two companies to merge has arisen naturally over time. Both brands share many traits and values: strong regional roots, high-quality products, and centuries-old expertise. The Joseph Cartron company will join a branch of activity that already includes Rhum Clément, Rhum J.M, Bounty, Chairman’s Reserve, and Admiral Rodney rum brands produced by Saint Lucia Distillers. This union will create a variety synergies — both locally in the French market, where Joseph Cartron has an excellent knowledge of the on-premise sector, and internationally, where the Spiribam sales and marketing teams have a distribution network that covers more than 70 countries. President Judith Cartron retains the management of the Joseph Cartron company and will be entrusted with an enlarged scope of activities within the new organization and the same will be the case for the Joseph Cartron team.
“I’m proud that the GBH group has chosen us to be part of its development,” said Judith Cartron. “Together we will be able to accelerate the commercial development of our brands by relying on the solidity of our distribution network, which has been built over a long period of time in France. Spiribam will be able to count on the excellent team culture that reigns within our company, as well as our attention to quality customer service. Our company sizes are certainly very different, but our values and our common family business culture, which is deeply rooted in our operating styles, are so close that our merger felt perfectly natural.”
Grégoire Gueden, Director of the spirits branch of GBH and CEO of Spiribam, added that he’s delighted with this “marriage of passion and purpose,” which will allow Spiribam to expand into new spirits categories. “The Joseph Cartron company is full of passionate men and women who carry the values and history of their magnificent brand, created in 1882. Our teams know each other very well and have worked together for more than 15 years. The skills and expertise we each possess will be a real added value in this new group.”
For more information, head over to Spiribam’s official website.
