Dr. Oetker to acquire historical baking brand Alsa from Unilever
Alsa today produces over 50 baking products for French consumers, including pastry aids, recipe mixes and jams for cake fillings.
German-based Dr. Oetker – another company with more than a century under its belt – said Alsa’s baking and dessert products will complement its own international own international portfolio, which includes more than 4,000 products – including baking powder, cake mixes, frozen pizza, pudding, cake decoration and cornflakes.
The transaction – for an undisclosed amount – includes the manufacturing unit in Ludres, France.
Unilever said Alsa did not fit in with its future business strategy and the sale will allow it to focus on other sectors.
Focusing strategies
“In the context of our global strategy to accelerate long term, sustainable value creation, the baking and desserts category is not part of Unilever’s evolving core portfolio,” said Bauke Rouwer, general manager of Unilever France.
“We are confident that under Dr. Oetker’s ownership and support, Alsa would be able to progress to its full potential.”
“Our goal is to pursue [Alsa’s] growth and development both in France and internationally, based on its know-how and innovation capabilities,” said Didier Muller, general manager of Dr. Oetker France..
Dr. August Oetker Nahrungsmittel KG was founded in 1891 and remains a family-owned and managed company with headquarters in Bielefeld, North Rhine Westphalia, Germany.
The €2,5bn ($3.08bn) company employs more than 11,600 staff at its production and distribution sites in 40 countries worldwide, including Western and Eastern Europe, Canada, South America, Africa, Asia and Australia.
The company has four sites in the UK, producing frozen pizza, mostly under the Chicago Town brand. In September last year, Dr. Oetker UK expanded its SuperCook brand range with Bake in the Box Loaf Cake Mixes.
