Moscow, Russia – January 25, 2010.
The fourth quarter of 2009 was a difficult period for the entire Russian dairy industry due to an acute shortage of raw milk caused by both a seasonal decline in production and an unforeseen shortage of dry milk. Under these circumstances Wimm-Bill-Dann was forced to restrict the production of some of its dairy products, in particular during the latter part of the fourth quarter. These changes in production output resulted in lower than expected dairy sales in the quarter. In addition, the increase in raw milk prices caused by a shortage of supplies had a negative short-term effect on the company’s dairy margins. Accordingly we expect our EBITDA for the full year to be in the range of US$300-310 million.
For further enquiries contact:
Marina Kagan
Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods OJSC
Solyanka, 13, Moscow 109028 Russia
Tel: +7 495 925 5805
Fax: +7 495 925 5800
e-mail: kagan@wbd.ru
Natalya Belyavskaya
Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods OJSC
Solyanka, 13, Moscow 109028 Russia
Tel: +7 495 925 5805
Fax: +7 495 925 5800
e-mail: belyavskayand@wbd.ru
Some of the information contained in this press release may contain projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future events or the future financial performance of Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods OJSC, as defined in the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We wish to caution you that these statements are only predictions and that actual events or results may differ materially. We do not intend to update these statements to conform them to actual results. We refer you to the documents Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods OJSC files from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, specifically, the Company's most recent Form 20-F. These documents contain and identify important factors, including those contained in the section captioned "Risk Factors" in our Form 20-F, that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those contained in our projections or forward-looking statements, including, among others, potential fluctuations in quarterly results, and risks associated with our competitive environment, acquisition strategy, ability to develop new products or maintain market share, brand and company image, operating in Russia, volatility of stock price, financial risk management, and future growth.
Notes to editors
Wimm-Bill-Dann Foods OJSC was founded in 1992 and is the largest manufacturer of dairy products and a leading producer of juices and beverages in Russia and the CIS. The company produces dairy products (main brands include: Domik v Derevne, Neo, 2Bio, 33 Korovy, Chudo and more), juices (J7, Lubimy Sad, 100% Gold), Essentuki mineral water and Agusha baby food.
The company has 37 manufacturing facilities in Russia, Ukraine, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Georgia with over 16,000 employees. In 2005, Wimm-Bill-Dann became the first Russian dairy producer to receive approval from the European Commission to export its products into the European Union.
In 2009, Standard & Poor's Governance Services confirmed on WBD its governance, accountability, management, metrics, and analysis (GAMMA) score “GAMMA- 7+”. The score reflects the effective work of the Board of Directors and, in particular, the real influence of independent directors in the decision-making process and the adherence of the controlling shareholders to the highest standards of corporate governance.