German Business Awards 2017

12 EU BUSINESS NEWS / 2017 German Business Awards , Best Sustainable Food Production Group 2017 Katjes International is an innovative firmoffering a range of brands aimed at consumers acrossWestern Europe’s confectionarymarket. We profile the firm to find out more. Established in 2011, Katjes International is part of the Katjes Group together with its legally independent sister companies Katjes Fassin GmbH & Co. KG (Katjes Germany) and Katjesgreenfood. The firm’s long-term “Buy-and- Hold” approach is geared towards sustainable value appreciation. The strategy allows participations to remain legally and organizationally independent after the takeover. Katjes International has already established a track record in transnational M&A transactions within the Western European confectionery market. Established brands including Lutti, Piasten, Dallmann, Festivaldi, Sperlari and Manner all are investments of Katjes International, supporting the continued success across Europe. With sugar confectionery producer Lutti, Katjes International owns the number two sugar confectionery producer in France and the number one in Belgium. Nationally and internationally Lutti has established a reputation over its 120-year history for its sour fruit gums for example Surffizz and Bubblizz. With a market share of more than 40 percent, Lutti is also the market leader in the segment of sour fruit gums in France. At its production site Bondues, France, Lutti has an annual production capacity of around 50,000 tonnes of confectionery. In Belgium, Katjes International has acquired the independent confectionery distribution company Continental Sweets Belgium. With its successful distribution strategy, the company played a key role in establishing Lutti as the number one brand in Belgium. In 2010 as well as 2014, the company was awarded as the best sales team in the Belgian confectionery market. In addition to its well-rounded portfolio of distribution brands, the company also sells the brand Vicks cough drops in Belgium and the Netherlands since the end of 2015. The German company Dallmann complements the Katjes International portfolio of strong brands with its traditional products in the sage cough drop segment. Dallmann’s famous drop is the number one cough drop in German pharmacies (by number of sold packages). Furthermore, Dallmann distributes its cough drops, sage and thyme sweets among drugstores and recently supermarkets in the D-A-CH region. In October 2014, the Katjes Group became a 100% shareholder of Piasten, the largest producer of sugar-coated sweets in Germany. The confectionery manufacturer produces over 30,000 tonnes of confectionery every year. In fiscal year 2015, Piasten achieved net sales of around EUR 100 million. The company is based in Forchheim (near Nuremberg), Germany, and has more than 90 years of history. The company generates more than half of its sales through its sugar-coated products, including its brands Big Ben and Schokolinsen. Last year, Katjes International acquired the remaining 50% of Festivaldi B.V. Since then Katjes International is now the sole shareholder of the Dutch liquorice producer. The Harlekijntjes brand is the top- selling liquorice product by volume in the Dutch market. More than 30,000 tons of the product is consumed each year in the Netherlands. The latest participation is the Italian confectionery product manufacturer Sperlari s.r.l. Katjes International acquired 100 per cent of the No. 2 player in Italy with popular brands like Sperlari, Saila, Dietorelle and Dietor, mostly positioned as No. 1 in their respected segments. The profitable enterprise with approx. 400 persons achieved a gross net revenue of about 100 million Euros and has achieved a strong position in the Italian confectionary market. In June 2017, Katjes International announced its acquisition of a c. 6% stake in the Austrian-based biscuit firm Josef Manner, the largest Austrian producer of confectionery products. The Manner group combines products such as the Neapolitaner wafers. Katjes International is supportive of the company’s strategy. Looking ahead, the group is keen to continue acquiring companies with a focus on strong brands within the Western European confectionary market. As the second largest confectionery company in Western- Europe, Katjes International is a strong player and continuously observes the markets closely in order to identify suitable target companies, to achieve a leading position in the most attractive confectionery markets. “Additionally, the firm’s sustainable investment strategy stands for continuously observation of the market and the customer demand. Katjes International takes a long- term perspective to find today the trends from tomorrow. Sustainability means changes and innovations to stay in the sweet spot in the international confectionery market and will remain the firm’s ongoing focus as it looks towards a bright and exciting future.” GBA17007