The Republic of Serbia’s Commission for Protection of Competition has approved Imlek’s acquisition of Niška Mlekara’s shares, making it full owner of the dairy company.

Imlek initially signed the contract to buy Niška Mlekara – one of the largest dairy companies in Southern Serbia (top 5 nationally) – in October 2015, but it needed the commission’s approval to finalise the deal, mainly because of competition concerns as Imlek already had a considerable market presence in the dairy industry.

According to Imlek, the main reason for this acquisition is the planned improvement and modernisation of Niška Mlekara’s production facilities through future investments, particularly a general upgrade of the company’s most famous brand, Vedro, and an increase in volume production.