According to the news coming yesterday from Paris Lavazza had closed the deal to acquire Carte Noire from JDE. In a later announcement, Lavazza Group specified that the deal had not been closed yet.
The following is the text of the official communique issued last week by Lavazza. Lavazza confirms its binding offer. Further announcements will follow.
MILAN (Italy) – Italian coffee Group Lavazza offers to purchase the French brand Carte Noire for around 800 million euros from Jacobs Douwe Egberts. Carte Noire is the leading brand in France with a 20% market share.
The offer, which is subject to approval by the European Commission and French authorities, would significantly increase the Italian roasters retail market share.
According to the terms of the offer, Lavazza would take control of the Carte Noire business within the European Economic Area (EEA) with the exception of Carte Noire instant coffee, T-Discs and out-of-home businesses.
“With this strategic acquisition we believe we would be making an important step forward to become a global Company. This deal would be totally consistent with our international development strategy, aimed at both organic and inorganic growth”, Lavazza’s CEO Antonio Baravalle (PICTURE) commented.
“We established our very first foreign operation in France back in 1982. Since then, France has been a very important market for Lavazza and we expect it will be even more in the future. With Carte Noire – declared Alberto Lavazza, Chairman of the company – which is a French icon with a unique premium positioning, a strong brand image and awareness, France would become our second most important market”.
The full EEA scope is expected to include Carte Noire in-home roast and ground coffee, filter pads and Nespresso-compatible capsules businesses.
As part of the proposed deal, Lavazza would also acquire the Laverune factory, located in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, which would continue to produce Carte Noire’s products within the scope of the proposed transaction.
Lavazza, present in 90 countries worldwide, has a 45% market share in the Italian retail market.
“Italy will continue to be our key market, headquarter, innovation and industrial center, while in France, the fourth global coffee market and the second in Europe, Lavazza will reach a leadership position”, concluded Baravalle.
Lavazza
Established in Turin in 1895, has been owned by the family of the same name for four generations. The world’s seventh ranking coffee roaster, today Lavazza is the retail market leader in Italy with a market share by value of 45% (source: Nielsen), 3,100 collaborator and sales of EUR 1,344 million (as of December 31, 2014).
The company has five production sites, four in Italy and one abroad, and operates through associated companies and distributors in more than 90 countries. Lavazza exports around 50% of its production today.
Lavazza invented the concept of blending – or in other words the art of combining different types of coffee from different geographical areas – in its early years and this continues to be a distinctive feature of all its products.
The company also has 25 years’ experience in the production and sale of portioned coffee systems and products and was the first Italian business to offer capsule espresso systems.
