ECULLY, France — Groupe SEB is pleased to announce it has completed the acquisition of Wilbur Curtis, after receiving all required regulatory clearances. The second largest player in the professional filter coffee machine industry in America, Wilbur Curtis complements Groupe SEB’s already solid foothold in professional automatic expresso machines marketed under the Schaerer and WMF brands.
This acquisition enables the Group to become one of the leaders in this market in the USA and confirms its global expansion strategy in the highly promising professional coffee sector.
Commenting on this, Thierry de La Tour d’Artaise, Chairman and CEO of Groupe SEB said:
″I would like to extend a warm welcome to Wilbur Curtis’ teams joining us today. Alongside them, we are entering a new stage in our development, leveraging our combined expertise to become the leader in the professional coffee industry in the United States.″
About Wilbur Curtis:
″Founded in 1941, Wilbur Curtis manufactures and markets equipment for the preparation of hot and cold beverages, mainly filter coffee and cappuccino machines. Its sales, which are primarily in the US, have grown steadily to over $90m. Major customers include coffee roasters, specialty coffee retailers, convenience stores, fast-food chains, hotels and restaurants. Its high-performance production facility located in Montebello, California, employs 300 people ″
