PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Regulatory News:

Communiqué de presse, Paris, le 18 mars 2020

While the French government has strengthened measures to combat the Covid-19 epidemic, health authorities have expressed concerns regarding a potential shortage of basic resources, including hand sanitizer. In this context, the company Ricard SAS (Paris:RI) is donating 70,000 litres of pure alcohol to Laboratoire Cooper, one of France's leaders in everyday health products, and the leading supplier of hydroalcoholic gels to pharmacies. This will allow Cooper to increase alcohol deliveries to pharmacies to produce hydroalcoholic gel, the equivalent of approximately 1.8 million individual 50 ml vials. Laboratoire Cooper is committed to donating the equivalent of the donation to various health care associations.

Other Pernod Ricard subsidiaries around the world are also contributing to local efforts to fight the pandemic and help their communities. This is particularly the case in Sweden, Ireland, Spain and the United States, where initiatives are being rolled out to directly produce hand sanitizer within the Group’s plants or to supply stocks of pure alcohol.

- In Sweden, the distillery of Absolut Vodka is offering spirits at large scale to produce hand sanitizer for public health care

- In the United States, responding to the U.S. Administration’s call to action, Pernod Ricard’s Ft. Smith, Arkansas manufacturing plant and distilleries for Rabbit Hole (Kentucky), Smooth Ambler (West Virginia) and TX Whiskey (Texas) are producing hand sanitizer

- In Spain and Ireland, Pernod Ricard Spain and Irish Distillers have announced they will put their technical, human and production facilities at the service of the authorities to produce hand sanitizer

- Other initiatives are being rolled out in other affiliates, including in the United Kingdom, and will be announced shortly.

Alexandre Ricard, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of Pernod Ricard, said, “As the world is facing a major pandemic, companies must mobilise, not only to ensure the safety of their employees, but also to contribute to collective efforts in accordance with their capabilities. By sharing our resources and making our production facilities available wherever they are needed, we are supporting our fellow citizens and local authorities. I would like to thank our employees who have worked hard to make everything possible in record time, all over the world.”

Sébastien Lucot, Managing Director of Laboratoire Cooper, added: "We are very pleased with this partnership with Ricard SAS. Since January we have been steadily increasing our production capacity. It has already increased five-fold in one month, with the demand of pharmacists and consumers being a top priority for us."

About Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard is the world’s No 2 in wines and spirits with consolidated sales of €9 182 million in 2018/19. Created in 1975 by the merger of Ricard and Pernod, the Group has developed through organic growth and acquisitions: Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin&Sprit (2008). Seagram (2001), Allied Domecq (2005) and Vin&Sprit (2008). Pernod Ricard, which owns 16 of the Top 100 Spirits Brands, holds one of the most prestigious and comprehensive brand portfolios in the industry, including: Absolut Vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur, Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes, as well Jacob’s Creek, Brancott Estate, Campo Viejo, and Kenwood wines. Pernod Ricard’s brands are distributed across 160+ markets and by its own salesforce in 73 markets. The Group’s decentralised organisation empowers its 19,000 employees to be true on-the-ground ambassadors of its vision of “Créateurs de Convivialité.” As reaffirmed by the Group’s three-year strategic plan, “Transform and Accelerate,” deployed in 2018, Pernod Ricard’s strategy focuses on investing in long-term, profitable growth for all stakeholders. The Group remains true to its three founding values: entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust, and a strong sense of ethics. As illustrated by the 2030 roadmap supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), “We bring good times from a good place.” In recognition of Pernod Ricard’s strong commitment to sustainable development and responsible consumption, it has received a Gold rating from Ecovadis and is ranked No. 1 in the beverage sector in Vigeo Eiris. Pernod Ricard is also a United Nations’ Global Compact LEAD company.

Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN Code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 index.

About Laboratoire Cooper

Since its inception in 1907, the Cooper Laboratory has based its ambition on the quality of its partnership with pharmacists to offer the best of local health to all consumers. Innovative and efficient products, completely safe, intended for the greatest number of people, available all over France. A simple pharmaceutical cooperative in its infancy, Laboratoire Cooper is now one of the main players in self-medication in France, marketing many leading brands such as Baccide, Mag 2, Insect Ecran, Arnican, Pouxit or Hexomedine.