Bidco partners with Dutch company to raid the Kenya juice market.

Bidco Chairman Vimal Shah (left), CFO Executive Vice President, Global Finance, IT and Bus. Development, Claus Jensen (centre) and Executive Vice President Global Innovation, Lee Richard Taylor during the launch of the new Sun top juice product on Tuesday. 

Bidco Africa and Denmark’s Co-Ro, one of the world’s leading providers of fruit-based soft drinks, have launched Sunt9op juices into the Kenyan market.

Co-Ro will work with Bidco under a joint venture dubbed BidCoRo.

BidCoRo has launched four new varieties of Suntop juice including Orange, Mango, Berries and 

Blackcurrant in packs targeting every consumer group from the 1 litre family pack, a 250 milliliter pack and a 125 milliliter pack for younger children.

The Suntop juice, contains natural fruit juice, is enriched with vitamin C and contains no preservatives, artificial colors, flavoring or sweeteners.

The company plans to produce over 8 million litres of Suntop in its first full year to serve Kenya and the export market. It has already over employed 50 employees, a number it will increase once demand and production subsequently increases.

“We have developed our range for different occasions, so we have a small portion pack for on the go, a larger portion pack for those that are a little thirstier and then a family pack for at home,” said Dave Alford, the Chief Operating Officer of BidCoRo.

“Our plans are ambitious and we hope to be able to supply not only Kenya but its neighbouring countries from our new factory,” revealed Dave.

Speaking during the launch, Bidco Africa Chairman Vimal Shah said the partnership would create the region’s largest producer of fruit-based soft drinks and other refreshments.

“Both parties bring world-class capabilities and a history of success to the partnership – Bidco with their great knowledge of and insight into the Kenyan consumer, and our fantastic sales and distribution network, and CORO with their brand building history and expertise, particularly in the MENA region,” he said in Nairobi on Tuesday.

The launch of BidCoRo is part of Bidco’s expansion plans that will see the company enter new product categories as it seeks to grow its annual turnover to over USD 1 billion.

The plan will see three new factories commissioned this year at the new Bidco Industrial Park in Ruiru as part of the first phase of development, with the second phase comprising an additional six new factories set to be built over the next four years.

BidCoRo is a 50-50 joint venture between Bidco Africa of Kenya and CO-RO A/S of Frederikssund, Denmark. CO-RO A/S is owned by the CO-RO Foundation, which is a commercial foundation.

CO-RO was founded in 1942 by Jep Petersen and currently has about 1,200 employees in Denmark, Asia and the Middle East.

Founded in 1970, Bidco employs over 2,000 workers.