Oils and fats company AAK will have pumped around £30M into its production facilities by the end of the decade as part of a continuing investment programme to improve its production capabilities.
European equity firm sells remaining investments in Swedish Pick & Mix firm Candyking, the movement comes after a supplier fire forced the confectioner to remove a public offering of shares from the market.
Burton’s Biscuit Company, maker of brands such as Maryland Cookies and Jammie Dodgers, has announced a £14.75M investment in its manufacturing operation to support business growth.
Thorntons aims to pump £10M each year for the next three years into expanding capacity in its biggest capital investment in 25 years, it confirmed in a conference call.
Petra Foods reported group net profits down 20.6% from the previous year following the divestment of its cocoa ingredients business to Barry Callebaut, but say own brand sales are up 12.6%.
Swedish pick & Mix confectioner Candyking has issued a bond to secure investment for growth, but its CEO has decided to leave the firm after it failed to become a public company.
Nestlé organic sales growth slowed to 4.4% in the first nine months of the year, compared to 6.1% in the same period last year, hit by weaker demand from emerging markets and ongoing recession in Europe.
Chocolate production is still growing in developed markets, but volumes are growing at a faster pace in Eastern European countries like Poland, data from Leatherhead Food Research shows.
By Rick Beckmann, senior foreign legal counsel, and Aldi Rakhmatillah, associate, of Susandarini & Partners, in association with Norton Rose Fulbright Australia
How should Indonesia and, more to the point, the local community, benefit from foreign investment in plantations?
UK-based Burton’s Biscuit Company claims to be piloting the first real-time control room technology for the biscuit industry as part of major supply chain investments.
Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Sprüngli will invest €70m ($90m) to expand its factory in the South of France to up its capacity for premium tablet ranges.
Norway’s US$710bn sovereign investment fund has pulled its investment from 23 Southeast Asian palm oil companies, claiming that they source palm oil unsustainably.
The confectionery industry is not immune to economic recession and must exploit opportunities in emerging economies to grow, according to an analyst from Goldman Sachs.
Lindt & Sprüngli recorded strong sales growth in 2012 and could prove an attractive “end game” acquisition for fellow Swiss confectioner Nestlé, according to one analyst.
Confectioners are struggling to reduce their dependence on seasonal products in Brazil, but could benefit from the growth of premium chocolate, according to an analyst from Leatherhead Food Research.
Barry Callebaut full-year profits have fallen slightly after it made significant investments in its supply chain as factories in developed markets reached capacity.
European food and drink manufacturers are making a "bold gamble" on research and development (R&D) investment in the tough economic climate, according to results from the latest IPA 2012 survey.
Food and nutrition giant Nestlé has reported improved sales in its 9-month results driven by growth in emerging markets, but Q3 was a little slower than last year.
Chocolate manufacturers must invest in luxury and premium to drive sales in developed economies but dedicate focus on distribution and mid-priced products for emerging markets, an analyst says.
Sacmi Group said it is expecting a tough 2012 amid strong headwinds that are buffeting the global economy but that the firm is on target to match its strong performance in 2011.
Barry Callebaut has outshone the global chocolate market in its six month results, but profits were stunted by recent partnership-related costs and supply chain investments.
Amcor said strong performance across the board in its flexible and rigid packaging divisions fuelled a 14% profit increase in the first half of the year as recent acquisitions of Ball and Alcan continued to reap rewards.
Food giant Nestle has recorded modest growth in 2011 driven by strong performance in China and other emerging markets leading its CEO to say wealth potential is moving from West to East.
Automatic changeovers that reduce down-time will be the trend informing confectionery packaging machinery in 2012, according to Renato Dell’Oro of packaging technology firm Cama.
The Hershey Company has announced improved sales and gross profit in its fourth quarter (Q4) and end of year results as sales in emerging markets soared.
DS Smith said its deal to acquire the vast majority of SCA’s packaging operations for €1.7bn (£1.4bn) will “transform” the company and make it a pan-European giant.
Ecolab said it has completed the US$8.3bn (€6.4bn) takeover of Nalco as part of a strategy to tap into global mega-trends such as food safety and the need for industry players to maximize operational efficiencies such as energy and water reductions.
Spanish chocolate confectionery market leader Nestle has invested €10m on a new production line its factory in La Penilla de Cayon to drive growth in the Mediterranean.
Ferrero has announced plans to build a new factory in Turkey in the province of Manisa to leverage its position in a confectionery market that has grown 120% since 2004, according to figures from Mintel.
Amcor has predicted it will see strong growth in 2013 thanks in part to an extra A$200m (€148m) in its coffers as result of synergies flowing from the recent acquisitions of Alcan and Ball Plastics.
Bosch packaging chief Friedberg Klefenz said talk of another economic downturn has failed to dent the company’s buoyant order books as he also forecasts strong growth in its Chinese operations.
Kraft has confirmed that it has chosen Cadbury’s site in Bournville as the site of a new chocolate centre to “drive new product development and new technologies” for chocolate brands.
US private equity firm Blackstone Group has bought a majority stake in Blackpool-based Tangerine Confectionery, FoodManufacture.co.uk understands, while management has also reinvested in the firm.
Border Biscuits is investing a further £2.5 million to increase manufacturing capabilities and plant capacity over the next 18 months as the Scottish biscuit maker targets a 50% turnover increase over the next few years.
Pod-to-pallet industrial chocolate supplier Barry Callebaut has flagged up the potential for growth arising from the fact that independent analysts, Moody’s, has given the company an ‘investment grade’ status.
US confectionery manufacturer Hershey claims its growth levels are on pace to achieve $1bn international net sales - outside of North America – by 2015.
The results of the inaugural FoodProductionDaily.com survey gauging the outlook for the food and drink processing industry reveal that commodity and packaging material price increases, the bugbear of the past few months, are proving a challenge for 80...
Leading beverage filling and packaging technology company Krones reported a number of drink makers signing on the dotted line at German trade show Brau Beviale last week, and we caught up with executive chairman of the board, Volker Kroneseder, to get...
Nestlé reports that an upgrade to its premium chocolate manufacturing facility in the Samara region of Russia will transform it into a key competence centre for confectionery products in Europe.
Food and drink processors can achieve savings of up to 30 per cent on their water and effluent bills without even having to resort to major capital investments.
