Bols gives up on pursuing Belvedere vodka maker, two bidders remain

Dutch vodka producer Bols has withdrawn from the privatization process of Polish distillery Polmos Zyrardow, leaving just two bidders in the running. They are the French Belvedere Group and Philips Beverage. Bols reportedly backed out because of uncertainty surrounding Polmos Zyrardow's rights to the exclusive Belvedere vodka trade mark. Belvedere has a strong position on the American luxury alcohol market and analysts say that the trademark alone accounts for half of the company's value. Bols' representatives claim that they were denied information which would enable them to value the Polmos and assess the risk involved in its privatization. (Prawo i Gospodarka, p.4) A.Z.