HELSINKI, Finland – Paulig, the international, family-owned food and beverage company acquires innovative, Spanish-based company Liven to drive growth in its Tex Mex and snacking business in Europe. Liven’s portfolio of snacks and Tex Mex products is one of the broadest in Europe, generating EUR 63 million in revenue to the company in 2021. Liven has approximately 290 employees based in Spain.
This acquisition combines Paulig’s strong Tex Mex and flavouring expertise with Liven’s top-notch snacks manufacturing and innovation capabilities. Through complementary product portfolios, both companies can strengthen their leading position in the growing Tex Mex and snacking categories in Western Europe.
Liven’s broad product portfolio contains specialty snacks made of corn, vegetables, grains and pulses as well as gluten-free and organic products.
“The acquisition of Liven is an important step in the execution of our growth strategy and ambition to become one of the fastest-growing and profitable food and beverage companies in Europe and a sustainable frontrunner in the industry. Liven’s agile innovation and production capabilities strengthen Paulig’s position as the leading European Tex Mex company, and also complement our offering with new types of snacks. We warmly welcome Liven to the Paulig family,” says Rolf Ladau, CEO of Paulig.
Salvador Montagut, CEO of Liven, views the new situation with equal enthusiasm:
“My goal as the CEO has been to secure a sustainable future for Liven, its employees, and the Berguedà area, and to seek international growth in a way that matches our values of caring for people and the planet. I am very pleased that Liven becomes part of Paulig. We share the same values and sustainability ambitions, and together we can strengthen our R&D capabilities to create a Snacking Centre of Excellence for Paulig and expand to new geographies and categories.”
United by strong values and a focus on sustainability
Paulig is the European leader of Tex Mex. With its products sold in 70 countries globally, Paulig has an extensive customer brand offering across multiple channels and strong expertise in concept creation and branded business.
Both Paulig and Liven are family-owned companies – they are united by strong values, a people-centric culture and long-term business strategy. Both companies have a strong emphasis on sustainable growth. Liven’s sustainable production and operations, along with fully plant-based products, will contribute to Paulig’s sustainability ambitions.
The Liven headquarters are located in Sant Cugat with production facilities in Puig-Reig and Berga, and a distribution centre in Ocaña. All Liven’s 290 current employees will continue working as new members of Paulig.
