with correspondents in Japan, Russia, USA, Sweden; edited by Simon Palmer

After a long wait Pernod-Ricard's takeover of Martell was finally authorised. Patrick Ricard came to meet the company's management in person and he indicated that his group held high ambitions for their Cognac branch. Martell and Renault-Bisquit sell around 1.4 million cases today, this places them a long way behind Hennessy with whom Martell vied in the not too distant past. The marketing department, shifted to London during the Seagram's period, will come back to Cognac and Lionel Breton, the new CEO will also be based there.
www.pernod-ricard.com.

20 january 2002