Arnest Group

The Arnest Group is a Russian manufacturer of perfumery, cosmetics and household products notable for its growth through acquisition of Western corporate assets in Russia under sanctions involving Russia after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Arnest Group

Company type	Public joint stock company
Industry	Consumer goods
Founded	1971
Headquarters	Nevinnomyssk, Russia
Key people	Sagal Alexey Eduardovich, president
Number of employees	2,000 (2023)
Website	http://www.arnest.ru

History

The company was founded in 1971 in Nevinnomyssk and expanded in 2007, following the purchase of Aerosol Novomoskovsk.^[1]

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, in February 2022, many Western companies curtailed their operations in Russia^[2] and, aided by favourable conditions imposed by the Russian government, the Arnest Group entered a period of rapid expansion by buying up Western subsidiaries.

In September 2022, it purchased the Russian wing of the American aluminium manufacturing company, the Ball Corporation, in a deal worth $530 million.^[3] In August 2023, it purchased the Russian subsidiary of the Dutch brewing company, Heineken.^[4] The deal, worth $108 million, incorporated all of Heineken's Russian assets, including seven breweries, but did not include any Heineken branding rights.^[5] And in October 2024, it purchased the Russian wing of the British consumer goods company, Unilever. The deal, worth $562 million,^[6] included all of Unilever's business in Russia, four factories, and businesses in Belorussia.^[7]