Altia Plc and Arcus ASA announced on 29 September 2020 the merger of Altia's and Arcus' business operations through a statutory cross-border absorption merger of Arcus into Altia. As announced on 23 July 2021, Altia and Arcus have received all regulatory approvals for the Merger, and the Boards of Directors of Altia and Arcus have resolved to complete the Merger in accordance with the merger plan and combination agreement entered into on 29 September 2020. The execution of the Merger is expected to be registered at the Finnish Trade Register on 1 September 2021. The new combined company will be named Anora Group Plc ("Anora"). In accordance with the resolution of the Extraordinary General Meeting of Altia held on 12 November 2020 (the "EGM"), the Board of Directors of Anora will consist of current Altia board members Sanna Suvanto-Harsaae, Jyrki Mäki-Kala and Torsten Steenholt, current Arcus board members Michael Holm Johansen, Kirsten Ægidius, Ingeborg Flønes and Nils Selte, and new board member Sinikka Mustakari. Michael Holm Johansen, currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of Arcus, will serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Anora and Sanna Suvanto-Harsaae, currently Chairman of the Board of Directors of Altia, will serve as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Anora. The term of the new Board of Directors will commence on the date of the registration of the execution of Merger with the Finnish Trade Register (the "Effective Date") and expire at the end of Anora's Annual General Meeting 2022. The persons appointed to the Executive Management Team of Anora were previously announced on 18 August 2021.
Anora Group Oyj, formerly Altia Oyj, is a Finland-based distilled beverage and wine company. The Company has portfolio of iconic brands, including Koskenkorva, Linie, Larsen, Skagerrak, Chill Out, Ruby Zin, Wongraven, O.P. Anderson and Falling Feather. Its key brands are exported to over 30 markets globally. Its portfolio includes noted wines, such as Masi, Laroche, Penfolds, Louis Roederer and Fumees Blanches, as well as well-known spirits brands, like Jack Daniels, Fireball, Fernet Branca, Jose Cuervo, and Underberg. The Company's business operations also include world-class industrial operations in distillation, bottling and logistics services as well as the production of technical ethanol products, neutral potable ethanol, feed components and barley starch.