Radenska general manager Marian Šefčovič from Slovakia said the plan was to merge the cultures of Kofola and Radenska, which brought a "very good brand with a rich history and motivated team" to the group.

Šefčovič said no lay-offs were planned at the Gornja Radgona-based company, which currently employs 200 people.

On the contrary, the company would like to increase sales, which means it might employ more staff, he said.

Radenska will continue bottling beverages for Pepsi, Kofola's rival on the Czech and Slovakian markets.

"We thought this process would be harder, but it all went rather smoothly, so we're counting on long-term cooperation," he said, noting though that Kofola would not be sold in the Slovenian market.

Šefčovič meanwhile sees great potential for Radenska in the Czech and Slovakian markets, to which the company imported 10 million litres of mineral water in 2004, while now the amount is substantially smaller.

Austria and Italy remain important markets alongside all the other Radenska's markets abroad, he said.

Radenska is also seeking to improve cooperation with health spa Zdravilišče Radenci.

Šefčovič, who has been working at Kofola for 16 years, was declared manager of the year 2014 in Slovakia. He said no more than five Kofola managers would work in Slovenia, while the rest would be locals.

Kofola, best known at home for its soda, bought the 93.98% stake in Radenska for EUR 64.65m from brewer Pivovarna Laško and the DBS bank in March. It later offered to buy out the remaining shareholders, valuing the entire company at around EUR 69m.