Ferré & Consulting Blog (English Version)

Barry Callebaut , the world´s leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate products, has signed an agreement to acquire 100 percent of the privately owned Spanish nut manufacturer La Morella Nuts S.A. La Morella Nuts is known as a leading nut specialist producing a variety of high quality nut-based ingredients for the food industry in Europe. The company has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the nuts business with regards to sourcing, processing and innovation that allows for a wide range of products.

Mr. Joaquim M. Barriach, La Morella Nuts S.A. CEO

The acquisition of La Morella Nuts underlines Barry Callebaut´s strategic intention to further strengthen its market position in adjacent products for both its Gourmet + Specialties Products and its Food Manufacturers Products business. Many of Barry Callebaut´s customers are asking for combinations of chocolate and nut products. With the acquisition of La Morella Nuts, Barry Callebaut will become a European leader in nut products extending its existing nut offerings with a wide spectrum of high-quality products, including almonds and hazelnuts, as well as specialty nuts like cashews, pecans, pistachios, macadamia and others.

La Morella Nuts manufactures about 8’000 tonnes of nut specialties per year and generated sales revenue of approx. 40 million CHF (33 million EUR) in 2011 with 90 employees. The company was founded in 1986 in Reus, Spain. La Morella Nuts has two state-of-the-art plants in Castellvell del Camp and Reus, where its headquarters are located. La Morella Nuts will be integrated in Barry Callebaut´s business Region Europe as of January 2012.

Companies Barry Callebaut, La Morella Nuts

Alfredo Ortiz, vice-president of foodservice national account sales at CSM Bakery Products , was recently elected to the board of directors for the International Food Manufacturers Association (IFMA ). «We are very proud to welcome Alfredo Ortiz to the IFMA Board of Directors. His innovative thinking and enthusiasm make him an ideal complement to the individuals who guide our association and lead our committees», said Larry Oberkfell, president and Cief Executive Officer, IFMA.

Prior to joining CSM Bakery Products, Alfredo was a consultant at Boston Consulting Group where he worked with various large multi-national customers such as Kraft Foods, Diageo and Samsung. Alfredo also founded Grupo MAS, a business strategy and development consultancy targeting the US Hispanic market which was subsequently acquired by the Zyman Group. His previous work experience includes positions with specialized consultancy firms and the consumer product industry working for companies such as Kraft, Nestle, PepsiCo and Georgia-Pacific.

Source: Bakenet:eu

Companies CSM Bakery Products

The European Commission has cleared under the EU Merger Regulation the proposed acquisition of the Spanish supplier of the baking industry Panrico SAU by US based alternative investment manager Oaktree Capital. The Commission found that the transaction would not raise competition concerns because there are no overlaps between the parties´ activities.

The proposed transaction does not result in horizontal overlaps between the parties activities, since Oaktree has no company in its portfolio that is active in the same markets as Panrico. The Commission examined the vertical relationship between one of Oaktree´s portfolio companies Nordenia with activities in flexible packaging and Panrico´s activities in bakery products.

However, due to Nordenia´s low market share in the upstream market for flexible packaging for bread, biscuits and cakes, the merged entity would lack the ability to shout out competitors from supplies. Moreover, the Commission´s investigation confirmed that the proposed transaction would not lead to any material change in the structure of the market.

The Commission therefore concluded that the transaction would not significantly impede effective competition in the European Economic Area (EEA) or any substantial part of it. The transaction was notified to the Commission on 16 November 2011.

Oaktree is a global alternative and non-traditional investment manager engaged in businesses in a variety of industries, including packaging, manufacturing, healthcare, clothing, travel, real estate, exploration and mining, food, telecommunications, media and entertainment. Barcelona-based Panrico is active in the manufacture and wholesale distribution of bread, pastries and biscuits in Spain and Portugal.

Source: Bakenet:eu

Companies Oaktree, Panrico

Opening in Xi’An, China marks milestone in Dunkin’ Donuts’ worldwide growth; Dunkin’ Donuts also celebrates additional new restaurant openings this month around the world, including locations in Bogota, Colombia; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; and Kingsland, Ga.

Dunkin’ Donuts has more than 80 restaurants in Greater China. The newest restaurant in China, the 10th in Xi’An and 10,000th in the world, is being opened by franchisee Shannxi Stellerich Food & Restaurant Management Co., Ltd. The opening of the 10,000th Dunkin’ Donuts location will be celebrated in Xi’An with much fanfare, including a grand opening ceremony complete with local dignitaries, a traditional Chinese lion dance and a jazz band.

“We are proud to have opened the world’s 10,000th Dunkin’ Donuts restaurant in China, a country which we believe offers tremendous opportunity to both our Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins brands,” said Nigel Travis, CEO of Dunkin’ Brands and President of Dunkin’ Donuts. “From its beginnings as a single restaurant in Quincy, Mass., Dunkin’ Donuts is today a global brand located in 32 countries around the world. Our geographic diversity is truly a testimony to the fact that customers everywhere, from China to Saudi Arabia, Colombia and Georgia, appreciate what Dunkin’ Donuts offers – high quality food and beverages served in a friendly, fast environment at a great value.”

During the first nine months of 2011, Dunkin’ Brands, Inc., the parent company of Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin-Robbins, opened approximately 480 net new locations globally, including 230 net new Dunkin’ Donuts restaurants. Dunkin’ Brands has more than 16,500 restaurants in 56 countries and is one of the largest U.S. quick service restaurant (QSR) companies internationally by unit count.

Dunkin’ Donuts has maintained steady global growth over the past several years, opening new restaurants in the United States, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, Russia, and Latin and South America. Earlier this year, Dunkin’ Donuts announced an agreement to enter India and plans to open more than 500 restaurants in the country over the next 15 years. Last month, Dunkin’ Donuts surpassed 100 restaurants in Saudi Arabia.

“Because of our strong brand recognition, our differentiated products, innovative marketing and nearly 100 percent franchise business model, we believe Dunkin’ Donuts has significant growth opportunities both in the U.S. and abroad,” concluded Travis. “We are delighted to celebrate the opening of our 10,000th Dunkin’ Donuts restaurant, and look forward to many more openings to come both in existing and new markets around the world.”

For more information about Dunkin’ Donuts, please visit www.DunkinDonuts.com or follow us on Facebook ( www.facebook.com/DunkinDonuts ) and Twitter ( www.twitter.com/DunkinDonuts ).

About Dunkin’ Donuts Founded in 1950, Dunkin’ Donuts is America’s favorite all-day, everyday stop for coffee and baked goods. Dunkin’ Donuts is a market leader in the regular/decaf coffee, iced coffee, hot flavored coffee, donut, bagel and muffin categories. Dunkin’ Donuts has earned the No. 1 ranking for customer loyalty in the coffee category by Brand Keys for five years running. The company has 10,000 restaurants in 32 countries worldwide. In 2010, Dunkin’ Donuts’ global system-wide sales were $6 billion. Based in Canton, Mass., Dunkin’ Donuts is a subsidiary of Dunkin’ Brands Group, Inc. DNKN +2.05% . For more information, visit www.DunkinDonuts.com .

Source: Dunkin’ Brands

Companies Dunkin' Donuts

The Swedish confectionery companies Cloetta and Leaf have announced a merger of the two companies. The combined company will take the well established name of Cloetta and become a leading Swedish confectionery company with a strong base in the Nordic region as well as in Italy and the Netherlands. The new Cloetta will manage a strong portfolio of iconic brands, long established brands including Kexchoklad, Läkerol, Polly, Ahlgrens bilar, Plopp, Malaco and Cloetta in Scandinavia, Jenkki in Finland, Sperlari and Saila in Italy and Red Band and Sportlife in the Netherlands.

Source: Confectionery Production

Companies Cloetta, Leaf

Grupo Bimbo  announced that it has completed its acquisition of Sara Lee Corporation´s  fresh bakery business in Spain and Portugal for 115 million EUR. The acquisition includes bread, pastries and snacks produced under the Bimbo, Silueta, Ortíz, Martinez and Eagle brands, among others.

The business employs more than 1’900 associates, operates seven production facilities and manages more than 800 distribution routes. In fiscal 2011, the business generated net sales of 408 million USD. This acquisition positions Grupo Bimbo as the leading branded bread company on the Iberian Peninsula and enhances the Company´s international growth with a strong and established bakery business.

This transaction was funded with cash holdings. The financial results of Spain and Portugal fresh bakery business will be included in Grupo Bimbo´s consolidated results starting on December 04, 2011.

Source: Bakenet:eu

Companies Grupo Bimbo, Sara Lee Corporation

The Chinese Government has cleared Nestlé’s bid to acquire a majority stake in Singapore-listed confectionery manufacturer Hsu Fu Chi for $1.7bn, following the completion of an anti-monopoly review.

In July, Nestlé entered into a partnership agreement with Hsu Fu Chi to buy a 60% stake in the company, as part of its strategy to generate over 45% of its revenue from emerging markets by 2020.

Once completed, Hsu Fu Chi will hold the remaining stake, and its current CEO and chairman Hsu Chen will head the company in the new partnership.

Nestlé will buy 43.5% of Hsu Fu Chi shares from independent shareholders for S$4.35 (US$3.38) per share, a premium of 8.7% on the 1 July closing price.

Hsu Fu Chi spokeswoman said that the company expects the courts in the Cayman Islands, where the company is registered, would soon clear its delisting from Singapore Stock Exchange, and expects the transaction, Nestlé’s biggest in China, to close by the end of December.

The clearance for Nestlé’s latest bid comes a month after Beijing approved Yum Brand’s takeover of restaurant company Little Sheep, easing concerns over its hardline stance towards acquistion of local brands by foreign companies.

Hsu Fu Chi, which manufactures sugar confectionery, cereal-based snacks, packaged cakes and the traditional Chinese snack sachima, operates four large-scale factories in China and reported sales of CHF669m ($803m) in 2010.

Nestlé China manufactures culinary products, soluble coffee, bottled water and milk powder, and operates 23 factories and two R&D centres, with sales of CHF2.8bn ($3.3bn) in 2010.

Early this year, the Swiss company acquired a 60% stake in food-maker Yinlu Food, which produces ready-to-drink peanut milk and ready-to-eat canned rice porridge.

Caption: The clearance for Nestlé’s bid for a 60% stake in Hsu Fu Chi eases concerns over Beijing’s hardline stance towards foreign firms acquiring local brands.

Source: Food Processing Technology

Companies Hsu Fu Chi, Nestle

After 26 years in charge of international bakery group Lantmännen Unibake , CEO Bent Pultz Larsen retires. As of January 01, 2012, Jan Klarskov Henriksen (46) is appointed new CEO of Lantmännen Unibake. Klarskov Henriksen is currently CEO of Lantmännen Danpo.

«In his 26 years at Lantmännen Unibake Bent Pultz Larsen has taken the company from a small player to one of Europe´s biggest bakery groups. Bent has been a hugely popular leader and a great asset for Lantmännen as well as the entire industry. Now that the time has come for him to retire we are very pleased to present a strong profile from our own ranks. Jan Klarskov Henriksen has achieved impressive results with Lantmännen´s chicken business, and I have no doubt that he will prove to be a very worthy successor to Bent», says Johan Karlström, director of Lantmännen´s food division.

In his three years as Lantmännen Danpo and Kronfågel CEO Jan Klarskov Henriksen managed to turn deficit into profit. Today Danpo and Kronfågel are profitable businesses with an annual turnover of more than 332 million EUR. He has implemented major structural changes in both the Danish and Swedish business to increase competitiveness in the global chicken market.

Source: Bakenet:eu

Companies Lantmännen Unibake

American agribusiness company Cargill has completed the sale of its global flavours business to Kerry, an Irish food ingredients and flavours group, in a deal worth $230m.

Cargill said the transaction, which includes activities in 22 countries and production facilities in three continents, has been concluded after both companies received clearance from competition authorities.

Following extensive discussions in July, Kerry entered into an agreement to acquire Cargill’s global flavours business Cargill Flavor Systems in September 2011.

In October, the Irish Competition Authority approved the planned acquisition, stating that the deal will not lessen the competition in any markets for goods or services in Ireland.

According to Kerry, the acquisition strengthens its capability to provide integrated customer solutions across all food and beverage end-use markets and extends its presence in emerging markets, where it generates 25% of its revenues from food ingredients business.

Cargill Flavor Systems, which has an annual revenues of $200m, offers flavour ingredients and flavour systems for beverage, dairy, sweet and savoury categories, such as cheese, yoghurts and ice creams.

It employs 700 people in application centres in France, UK, South Africa, India, Malaysia, China, US, Puerto-Rico, Mexico and Brazil, and has a network of sales representative offices in 12 other countries.

Kerry, a global provider of food ingredients and flavours and a leading consumer foods processor in the UK and Ireland, owns brands including Denny, Dairygold, Galtee, Calvita, Roscrea, Kerrymaid, Cheestrings and Richmond.

Kerry’s flavours division develops, manufactures and delivers technology-based ingredients, flavours and integrated solutions for food, beverage and pharmaceutical markets.

The unit, which is a leading producer of cheese ingredients with significant operations in savoury and sweet ingredients, accounted for nearly 60% of Kerry’s €5bn ($6.73bn) revenue and 75% of profits in 2010.

Source: Food Processing Technologies

Companies Cargill, flavours, Kerry

Food Ingredients Europe (FiE) 2011 in PARIS, from November 29 to December 1

Welcome to visit AROMATIC in stand No.: 4H49 (the Swedish Pavillion)

We are celebrating our 75 years of innovation by launching a number of new products and concepts!
Below please find some information about what we will be showing in our stand at FiE.
For more details, please come and visit us!

For free entrance to the exhibition at Paris Nord Villepint (value €115), please pre-register online at

http://fieurope.ingredientsnetwork.com

Here you will also find any information about the exhibition you may require.

Ask for Dorothy!

Ask for Dorothy!

The consumer prefers a cake that is moist and soft. Accordingly, cake producers are struggling to detain the staling process.

With this in mind, Aromatic has developed DOROTHY – a whole range of new powerful emulsion products to retain freshness and softness in cakes from day 1 and throughout life. With DOROTHY, the delicious feeling of newly-baked remains for a long long time.

Please visit us and learn what our new DOROTHY product line can do for your specific recipe!

Saffron specialists

Saffron specialists

Saffron is an important ingredient not only for the Swedish Christmas traditions, but also for many other applications all over the world.

Only top-quality pure saffron pistils are used for liquid Saffron Extracts from Aromatic. A unique extraction process lends our Saffron Extracts both intensive colour and flavour. Furthermore, the products are also very cost efficient.

This year, we have been focusing on developing different formulations from our Saffron Extract, to meet different demands in the market. Come and see us and compare our wide selection of Saffron!

Colours of the rainbow

Colours of the rainbow

You also eat with your eyes!

Aromatic is launching a number of azo-free food grade colours, that are new in our palette:

• Pink
• Purple
• Black
• Orange

Perfect for your macrons!

Liquorice flavour

Liquorice flavour

The trendy novelty of the year is a Lemon-Liquorice Whoopie!

Aromatic flavours add that final touch to your recipe, irrespective of whether your product is baked or unbaked. In our extensive assortment you find all the flavours you will need. The only limit is your own imagination…

Let us inspire you!

Pumpable products

Pumpable products

Aromatic has several pumpable ingredients for bakery industry in our product range:

• Alpha-gel emulsifiers for cakes and bread
•  Emulsions for cakes and bread
•  Shelf life improvers
•  Releasing agents
•  Malt products
•  Flavours & food colours

We are also offering assistance and guidance regarding different pumping and dispensing solutions.

Companies, Events Aromatic, Food Ingredients Europe