(Shanghai, 17 July 2014) Fosun International Limited (HKEx stock code: 00656, together with its subsidiaries, “Fosun”) , announces in Shanghai today that the company investedin Osborne Group, a renowned Spanish premium ham, wines and spirits producer, through afund under its management. The tie forged with the time-honoured Spanish family-owned food and beverage enterprise has extended Fosun’s investment in the industry to the Iberian Peninsula, manifesting Fosun’s globalization strategy of “combining China's growth momentum with global resources”.

Founded in 1772, Osborne Group carries a 240-year long legend, and ranks first as a producer of sherry wine and some spirits in Spain and top-grade Iberico ham. It owns four vineyards (owning one of the three oldest in Rioja and the largest in one plot in Europe with 1000 ha), two distilleries and the oldest ham processing plant in Spain. Its corporate logo proudly features the world-around famous silhouette of the black bull, the Toro, which has also become the national emblem of its home country, and because of that it is the only one of its kind allowed to be advertised on billboards by highways. The corporate logo is also emblazoned on a wide range of tourism souvenirs.

Presently, Osborne Group is selling its products in over 50 countries, at more than 300 duty-free shops around the globe and in their own restaurants chain. Osborne most recognized brands are premium and very-old sherries under their company names, premium Rioja wine under Montecillo brand, the most international premium Spanish brandy Carlos I and the most prestigious Iberico ham 5J, and lately Osborne has acquired two of the main premium cachaza brands in Brazil, where cachaza is the main spirit accounting for nearly 90% of the fast growing spirits consumption.

As a legendary Spanish brand for ultra-premium ham, wine and spirits, Osborne Group dedicates itself to bringing premium food and beverage to consumers worldwide. In particular, its worldwide renowned specialty, Cinco Jotas - 5J ham is regarded among the most prestigious chefs and connoisseurs as a gourmet food equivalent to Spain’s national treasure, something that people want to savour every mouthful and comparable to truffles or caviar. February 2010 marked the 5J Iberico ham’s first foray into China. The product was debuted as the most representative Spanish ham in the Spanish pavilion in World Exposition 2010 in Shanghai, and today it can be found at the top restaurants, premium hotels and outlets in the main Chinese cities. 5J also is intensely acting to bring together Chinese and Spanish cuisine by collaborating with the Chinese Cuisine Association, the Hong Kong Chefs Association, with the reputed chef Da-Dong and providing training at the two main Cuisine Schools in Beijing and Shanghai.

Osborne Group has been endeavouring to develop the Chinese market since its first foray into the country in 2010. The strategic alliance with Fosun also marks the introduction of foreign investors in Osborne Group for the first time in its history and an important milestone in the group’s business development in China. The pact also breaks new ground in cooperation between companies of China and Spain for mutual benefit.

Fosun has always focused on taking its roots in China with an aim of capitalizing on China’s growth momentum. The wine and gourmet food market has developed rapidly led by the changing of the country’s middle-class lifestyle, accelerating the consumption needs for these products. Fosun wishes to introduce premium Spanish ham, wine and spirits-brandies to the Chinese consumers through the strategic alliance with Osborne Group, thus allowing them to enjoy the specialities entirely of Spanish provenance. Meanwhile, Osborne Group will leverage Fosun’s knowledge about the Chinese market and distribution channels there to further develop its business.

Guo Guangchang, Chairman of Fosun said, “Fosun is optimistic about China’s market for mid-range and premium food. Osborne Group, as Spain’s leading ham and spirits producer with a long history, has distinguished itself as a Spanish food and beverage enterprise with its premium products and globalization strategy. The two partners will pool their resources to achieve synergy, allowing Osborne Group to use Fosun’s global investment capability and channel resources to take advantage of China’s growing consumption on one hand, and enhancing the cultural exchange among the two countries and their companies on the other hand.”

Tomás Osborne, Chairman of Osborne Group said, “This is the first time for Osborne family to seek a foreign partner for its global business in more than 200 years. We feel deeply honoured to be able to join hands with one of the leading Chinese investment groups  as Fosun to develop China’s market. Osborne Group attaches great importance to this partnership, and will deploy staff in charge of international projects to Shanghai to foster the group’s business development in China. This alliance will not only bring Spain’s time-honoured, healthy, natural and enchanting culinary traditions to China’s gourmets, but will also serve as a window on China’s market for our own clients.”

 Fosun’s long series of investments in foreign companies manifested the Company’s strategy of “combining China's growth momentum with global resources” in 2013. In that year, Fosun, and the funds under its management invested in Club Méditerranée SA (Club Med), Folli Follie, St. John, the United States’ famous brand for women’s luxury fashion, Caruso, an Italian brand for men’s deluxe fashion, Alma Lasers, an Israeli aesthetic medical equipment firm, Saladax Biomedical Inc., the United States’ company that produces personalized medicine for diagnostic tests, and Secret Recipe, a lifestyle restaurant chain in Southeast Asia. The investments spanned Europe, North America, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. At the beginning of this year, Fosun won a bid to acquire an 80% equity stake in each of Fidelidade, Multicare and Cares, which were three subsidiary insurance firms of Caixa Seguros e Saúde (CSS), forming the largest insurance group in Portugal, with a one billion euro bid. The strategic partnership with Osborne Group extends Fosun’s investment from Portugal to its neighbouring country Spain, and is a significant stride in the Fosun’s globalization.

About Osborne

The Spanish food and drink company Osborne, owner of the iconic image of the TORO – black Bull from Spain, as well as famous brands such as 5J - Cinco Jotas premium Iberico ham, top brandy Carlos I, Rioja wines Montecillo, Anís del Mono, Veterano, Magno, among others that can be found in the main shops and restaurants around the Globe, has a clear aim: to select, develop and provide consumers worldwide with high-quality food and drink products, and brands, of greater authenticity and prestige closer to consumers in over fifty countries around the world.

To achieve this target, in over two centuries in the evolution of the company it has been linked to a great ability to adapt to new market demands, always with an entrepreneurial and dynamic spirit, and a clear commitment to internationalization.
 
Since its inception in 1772 by a British gentleman to export sherry wine to United Kingdom to allow the crews on board the ships sailing to Asia to fight thirst and scurvy, the company has always been oriented and determined to produce under the higher quality standards, and to grow in the domestic as well as the international markets. Today, Osborne Group has become the leading companies in the Spanish food & beverage landscape, with a clear aim for further internationalization of its business, especially in the fast-growing markets, as China, where consumers are adopting western-style consumption patterns.
 
Osborne products are leading their respective segments in several markets: Veterano is the leading imported brandy in Germany, Montecillo is the most sold Rioja wine in Canada, and second in Scandinavia, with ranks high in demanding markets as Germany or USA, with Carlos I being the clear market leader for premium Gran Reserva Spanish brandy worldwide, with strong presence in Philippines, Germany, Italy or Mexico. All those products are also present in over 300 duty-free shops making Osborne the leading Spanish company in this market.

Osborne owns and runs the largest vine plantation in a single state in Europe with the most modern industrial and processing technology, the company produces easy to drink wines adjusted to the modern consumers tastes and in quantity large enough to satisfy demand of huge markets such as China or USA.

5J – Cinco Jotas 100% Iberico acorn-fed is worth a separate mention. With the Spanish cuisine becoming more and more reputed as one of the best and most healthy, 5J has emerged as the leading gourmet brand for a unique product. 5J is produced from pigs that grow up freely in the natural meadows of Western Spain, where they help to preserve the hundreds-year-old woods, with 2 hectares per pig to run, wonder and find the necessary acorns and roots to feed themselves in the most natural way. After that, the hams are cured for over three years in the top of the hills by natural means, breathing the clean air and becoming one of the Spain’s natural treasures. Because of naturally intense flavors and taste and its healthy content of oleic oil (helping to control the cholesterol), 5J is present in the menu of the most renowned restaurants around the world, and the most reputed chefs serve it either alone to be savored with bread or combined in a number of sophisticated dishes.