Chocolate maker The Barry Callebaut Group has announced plans to acquire Inforum, a Russian B2B manufacturer of chocolate, coatings and fillings.
The acquisition of Inforum, which supplies many leading consumer brands in Russia, will 'strengthen Barry Callebaut’s presence and production capacity' in the country, the company said, as well as open up opportunities to increase its presence in CEE countries.
The value of the deal has not been disclosed, and the transaction is subject to regulatory approval and other closing conditions. It is expected to be completed by the end of the calendar year.
Russian Presence
Barry Callebaut already boasts a presence in Russia, having developed a chocolate manufacturing plant in Chekhov, Moscow Oblast in 2007. The group also operates a Chocolate Academy training centre in Moscow, and employs around 80 people in Russia.
“We are delighted to join forces with such an established, locally engrained Russian company," commented Antoine de Saint-Affrique, CEO of the Barry Callebaut Group.
"Inforum’s heritage and local knowledge, combined with our innovation capabilities and international experience, will reinforce each other’s strengths. Together, we will be able to bring further excellence and innovation to the market and to serve Russian consumer chocolate manufacturers even better.”
Russia is the world's second largest chocolate confectionery market in volume terms, with a consumption of 4.8kg per capita, and growth rates 'significantly above' the global confectionery market, according to Nielsen.
Financial Performance
Sales volume growth at the Barry Callebaut Group grew by 6.9% in the first nine months of fiscal year 2017/18 (ended May 31, 2018), supported by all key growth drivers and all regions.
The group, one of the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, reported that its sales volume reached more than 1.5 million tonnes for the period.
The volume increase was supported by all key growth drivers, the group said, including Gourmet & Specialties (+7.8%), Outsourcing (+6.2%) and Emerging Markets (+8.8%).
Sales volume of Barry Callebaut in Region EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa) increased by 8.1% to 695,214 tonnes in the period, supported by strong growth in Western Europe and double-digit growth in Eastern Europe in both Food Manufacturers and Gourmet & Specialities.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Stephen Wynne-Jones and Aidan O'Sullivan. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: European Supermarket Magazine.
