VPK Group and Encase reach acquisition agreement
VPK Group NV has come to an agreement with Copi Holding to buy Encase Ltd, manufacturer and designer of corrugated cardboard packaging.
VPK’s corrugated operations in UK and Ireland, formerly known as Rigid Containers and recently rebranded as VPK Packaging, experienced consistent yearly growth since it entered the VPK Group in 2000. Under its ownership, VPK invested more than GBP 100 m into the division. Desborough was transformed into the UK flagship site, whereas greenfield sites in Wellington and Selby gradually increased capacity to fully mirror operations on all three sites. As part of its long-term strategy, it is now VPK’s intention to fully merge Encase with the existing VPK UK corrugated operations. The combined businesses are expected to achieve yearly sales of more than GBP 200 m in corrugated packaging and sheets.
VPK has a proven track record of successful investments and acquisitions in corrugated manufacturing assets. These include four sheet feeding plants in Poland and Germany – known under the brand name Aquila, an ultra-modern greenfield investment project in Halden/Norway which was recently put into operation and the acquisition of Viallon Emballages in France. With regards to containerboard production, the pioneering conversion in Strasbourg/France of the former UPM Stracel assets by Blue Paper, set a new standard for the recycled containerboard industry.
In tune with consumers’ change of attitude towards tasty and nutritious food and drinks that also do good for the planet, Barry Callebaut is offering under the new brand Cabosse Naturals a range of 100% pure cacaofruit ingredients: pulp, juice, concentrate and cascara – a fine flour made from the peel of the fruit.
Pablo Perversi, Chief Innovation, Sustainability & Quality Officer and Head of Gourmet at Barry Callebaut, said: “Barry Callebaut can harness the whole cacaofruit and celebrate the zesty fruity taste of this delicious fruit. With our cacaofruit brand Cabosse Naturals we offer a new palette of opportunities to artisans, chefs and brands, since we bring a brand new, delicious and nutritious fruit experience.”
To accelerate the development of cacaofruit upcycling, Cabosse Naturals joins forces with the Upcycled Food Association (UFA). Founded in 2019, UFA is a rapidly growing nonprofit organization focused on reducing food waste by growing the upcycled food economy. UFA aims to build a food system in which all food is elevated to its highest and best use – an ambition shared by Cabosse Naturals.
Pack Expo Connects: see more technology in less time
From 9 to 13 November, Pack Expo Connects will present this year’s most comprehensive virtual packaging event.
Pack Expo Connects will bring together the widest-variety of solutions-providers on an intuitive, interactive platform that facilitates live engagement with exhibitors. Attendees can expeditiously search this platform, maximizing their time and making it easy to connect with the right suppliers and schedule one on one live chats with product and technical experts.
With nearly 2,700 live product demos over five days, attendees will be able to watch demonstrations of machinery and products in 15-minute increments. There are also live product demos offered in international time zones over the course of the week.
A full educational programme will feature thought-provoking sessions from leading suppliers and industry experts covering critical packaging trends. All content will be available both as scheduled live and on demand.
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.
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.
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.
