French ready-to-eat vegetable maker Bonduelle has announced it will acquire American company Ready Pac Foods.
The California-based company, which is the US market leader in single-serve salad bowls with its Bistro Bowl brand, also sells packaged salads, fresh-cut fruit, and mixed vegetables to retail and foodservice clients.
It boasts four production centres in the US, with a full-time staff of roughly 3,500 employees. It generates approximately $800 million in revenue.
VegeGo! 2025
The acquisition is part of Bonduelle's VegeGo! 2025 strategy, which aims to make the company 'the world reference in “well living” through vegetable products'.
Bonduelle has previously acquired other entities in North America, such as Aliments Carrière in Canada in 2007 and Allens in the US in 2012.
The takeover of Ready Pac Foods will make the US the company's largest country of operations. It will also fulfil some key points of Bonduelle's strategic plan by developing its business in consumer convenience and healthy food segments, and expanding its presence in the fresh prepared vegetables segment.
It will also result in the 'reinforcement of footprint in North America, of a size, post transaction, equivalent to the European Union in Bonduelle’s geographical portfolio.'
Bonduelle's products are currently sold in 100 countries. It recorded a turnover of €1.03 billion and grew 1.9% on a like-for-like basis, according to H1 results for its 2016-2017 financial year.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Karen Henderson. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
