Schenck Process Group to acquire Baker Perkins
Schenck Process Group (SPG), based in Darmstadt/Germany, has reached an agreement to acquire Baker Perkins, a leading global supplier of food processing equipment and aftermarket services for the bakery, confectionery, biscuit, cookie and cracker, breakfast cereal and pet food end-markets.
This acquisition is a continuation of SPG’s strategic focus to further extend its global offering for the food end-markets. It will significantly strengthen European capabilities in the food processing and equipment sector, broaden the company’s product offering in the Americas and provide opportunities for growth across the Asia Pacific region.
SPG will build upon the knowledge, experience and customer relationships of the Baker Perkins team to support future growth, whilst remaining fully committed to existing facilities in Peterborough and Grand Rapids/Michigan. Upon completion, the business will continue to be run by the existing managing directors as part of the SPG regional business structure. The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2020.
World Cocoa Directory 2019/2020 now available
The new edition of the International Cocoa Organization’s (ICCO) World Cocoa Directory has a total of 4,500 entries, featuring the most up-to-date contact details provided in most cases by the companies/organizations themselves, by the government officials of the member countries at ministry’s level (agriculture, commerce & trade) or via intensive research work and networking.
All categories of the cocoa and chocolate value chain are represented – from the cocoa farmer to the chocolate manufacturer and this breadth and scope make this directory a unique and indispensable point of reference for anyone involved in the cocoa and chocolate supply chain.
The printed version of the World Cocoa Directory 2019/2020 is very easy to use, with a traditional alphabetical listing and two indexes (by country and by category) and as such is the ideal tool to bring buyers and sellers together, facilitating business contacts and greatly enhancing opportunities worldwide. This version comes in a hard cover edition with clear text on high quality paper for EUR 390 per copy, which includes express courier charges worldwide.
Pack Expo Connects with powerful industry support
The Pack Expo Partner Program and PMMI’s Showcase of Packaging Innovations showcase the powerful industry support of Pack Expo Connects (9 to 13 November 2020).
The Partner Program serves to connect over twenty leading trade associations dedicated to advancing the industry with attendees and exhibitors, bringing significant resources, insights and expertise to 2020’s most comprehensive virtual packaging event. PMMI’s Showcase of Packaging Innovations will share the best and brightest product packaging ideas advancing the industry in 2020. Interested parties shall get inspired by viewing this showcase featuring high-quality images that let them rotate the winning products and zoom in on details.
The MyConnects Planner will serve as the first stop for every attendee after registration, assisting in advance planning for the most effective Pack Expo Connects experience. An Outlook calendar integration is available for attendees to add events to their Outlook calendars for ease of reference, ensuring the most efficient use of time during event days. During Preview Week (2 to 6 November), the week before Pack Expo Connects, attendees can browse and finalize their MyConnects Planner, add product demos, educational sessions and all items of interest.
Lambertz strengthens leading position at seasonal and organic baked goods
The Aachen-based Lambertz group reports stabile development in the 2019/2020 fiscal year (30. 6.), with net revenue growth of 1.8% up to a total of € 637 m.
The popular all-year biscuits share in total revenues has increased further up to 60% at present, with above-average growth of 5% in the organic portfolio segment. The group has some 4,000 employees and made investments in excess of € 20 m in 2019/20. In particular, the subsidiary Lambertz Polonia generated € 46.4 m (previous year: € 45.5 m) , while Lambertz USA‘s revenues fell from € 28 m down to € 26 m.
Lambertz exports its products worldwide to around 60 countries, whereby its export rate fell slightly down to 23.5%. This was primarily due to punitive US tariffs on German sweet pastries, which has caused turbulence in the relationship and the demand planning with the US trade sector. “This weighty burden in a dreadful zig-zag course significantly endangers our export performances of recent decades,” criticises company owner Dr Hermann Bühlbecker.
The group‘s US business had recently undergone major expansion, thanks also to its own distribution subsidiary Lambertz USA. Original German and European ”cookies” and traditional seasonal baked goods such as Printen gingerbread, classical gingerbread and Christmas stollen are popular among US consumers. The press release notes that this great success and the very good partnership collaboration with the US retail chains are now very much at risk.
Gelita supports major sporting event even in Corona year
Numerous running events have been cancelled this year due to the Corona pandemic. Gelita, one of the leading manufacturers of collagen proteins, has decided to continue its involvement in sports, particularly in this situation.
Thanks to the company’s support, it was possible to hold the running event successfully at the beginning of October – even under this year’s exceptional circumstances. After so many sporting events had to be cancelled in recent months, the rush for a starting place in the Trail Marathon showed how important the competition is for many people.
Barry Callebaut to invest in the cocoa value chain in Ecuador
The Barry Callebaut AG, Zürich, has laid the foundation for future growth of the cocoa value chain in Ecuador in a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a new, state-of-the-art, cocoa facility in Durán.
Upon completion, the site will receive, dry, clean and store cocoa beans and prepare for export to our cocoa and chocolate factories in the U.S., Canada, Asia and Europe. The site will also host our Ecuador offices and herewith be the home for more than 40 employees. This project represents a significant investment in Ecuador and shows our commitment to further develop the value chain of this fast growing cocoa producing country.
“With this state-of-the-art infrastructure, we are making a long term commitment to the country and its cocoa producing sector. Our team is looking forward to moving into the new premises, further developing business relations with existing and new partners and enhancing our sustainability programs with the Ecuadorian cocoa farmers,” explains, Angela Gubser, Managing Director Ecuador at Barry Callebaut.
Barry Callebaut has been sourcing cocoa from Ecuador since our foundation in 1996. This cocoa is used in a wide range of our products, including the well-loved and special single origin couvertures Carma Milk Ecuador, Callebaut Origine Ecuador and Cacao Barry Équateur. Ecuador is well known for the cultivation of "Cacao Nacional", also known as Arriba, a flowery-fruity flavoured variety of cocoa. The cultivation of the more recent, highly productive, CCN51 variety has increased significantly in recent years, helping to establish the country as the third largest cocoa producer in the world after Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire.
New setup for Astra Sweet’s European brand business
The long-established Belgian sugar confectionery manufacturer Astra Sweets NV, internationally known for its products Ufos, Mallows and fruit gums, is repositioning its business in Central Europe as part of an international brand strategy.
Led by Filip Vanherpe, the Turnhout-based company as part of the Vanherpe group, is Dutch market leader in the Mallows segment with its traditioned frisia® brand. The frisia® label also stands for top quality and delicious snacking fun in Germany. Focusing on consumer’s needs, Astra Sweets concentrates on strengthening its frisia® brand. As part of a long-term corporate strategy, the brand has been revised and will undergo a broad international repositioning across all the company's product groups.
The branded business in Central Europe will play an exposed role in this contect. While the domestic market in Belgium and the Netherlands will be managed centrally, the company has furthermore decided to manage parts of its European business through a newly established, internationally active company based in Overath near Cologne, Germany.
In terms of personnel, Astra Sweets is relying on the expertise of Michael Voß and Jörg Multhaup, who will contribute to the growth of frisia® brand with their many years of experience in the confectionery sector together with their newly formed team of frisia GmbH. The new frisia® brand concept was launched in October 2020.
Mondelez International invests in Global Center for Sustainable Cocoa Farming Solutions
Mondelez International, Inc. has opened its state-of-the-art cocoa crop science technical center in Pasuruan, Indonesia.
The center enables the concern to develop and promote better cocoa farming practices, continuing its work with farming communities, suppliers and partners around the world. It represents an important step in the company’s mission to lead the future of snacking by securing a sustainable future for high-quality cocoa, so consumers can enjoy the right snack, for the right moment, made the right way. As one of the world’s largest buyers of cocoa for chocolate, the sustainability of the cocoa farming industry is key to Mondelez International’s long-term growth in Asia and around the world.
The investment in the Pasuruan Cocoa Technical Center focuses on cocoa crop science research and development. It supports sustainable, scalable cocoa farming practices and will work in partnership Mondelēz International’s global cocoa sustainability program, Cocoa Life. By the end of 2019, Cocoa Life had reached 175,017 cocoa farmers globally; 43,000 of these are Indonesian cocoa farmers.
Chr. Hansen: 5 % organic growth and significant strategic progress in 2019/20
Chr. Hansen CEO Mauricio Graber says: “2019/20 was a defining and extremely eventful year for Chr. Hansen. We launched our new 2025 Strategy to become a focused bioscience company and to grow a better world, naturally.
The company ended the year with 5 % organic growth for the group, well within the guidance provided at the beginning of the year. Organic growth accelerated in Q4, driven by Health & Nutrition which delivered 18 % growth. Chr. Hansen also delivered on the earnings side and came in at almost 30 % Ebit margin for the full year (compared to 29.6 % in 2018/19), and at 34.3 % in Q4 (compared to 33.3 % in Q4 2018/19). The free cash flow also developed strongly, but this was partly due to capex investments that were delayed during the second half of the year due to Covid-19.
Revenue increased by 2 % to EUR 1,189 m. Ebit before special items increased by 4 % to EUR 356 m. Free cash flow before acquisitions and special items was EUR 245 m, compared to EUR 162 m in 2018/19.
In Q4 2019/20, organic growth was 7 %, corresponded to a revenue increase of 1 % to EUR 308 m. Ebit before special items increased by 4 % to EUR 106 m. Free cash flow before acquisitions and special items was EUR 97 m, compared to EUR 105 m in Q4 2018/19.
Südpack opens new site in Erolzheim
After two years of construction, the opening of the new Südpack production site in Erolzheim was celebrated.
With the cutting-edge complex, Südpackis not only significantly enhancing its production capacity – with the fully automated state-of-the-art logistic center, the film manufacturer will now also be able to more effi-ciently supply customers around the world. The buildings provide a usable area of 18,800 m², and the total investment amounted to roughly 40 million euros. Approximately 100 employees will work at the new site.
The new site with roughly 6,700 pallet bays not only serves as a warehouse for mother reels – it is also where they are specifically processed for customers with the latest cutting technology. “With the commissioning of our logistic center in Erolzheim, we have been able to consolidate our various warehouses in one location, which not only improves the efficiency of the production and delivery chain, but also significantly eases the workload of our main plant in Ochsenhausen,” added Erik Bouts, CEO of Südpack.
The Südpack group has strong roots in the region Upper Swabia, but is also well positioned across the world with seven production sites and 20 subsidiaries. In roughly 75 countries spanning all continents, customers use the high-tech films from the company to manufacture packaging and technical products.
