On 1 October, the Lavazza Group announced it has agreed to acquire Mars Drinks, with the deal expected to close by the end of 2018. “This acquisition fits perfectly within our international expansion strategy, the objective of strengthening key markets, as well as the pursuit of having an even closer relationship with end consumers,” Lavazza Group CEO Antonio Baravalle says. “This acquisition strengthens the Lavazza Group’s position in the Office Coffee Services and Vending segments, which offer considerable opportunities for growth and development,” Through the deal, the Lavazza Group will acquire Mars’ coffee businesses in North America, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Canada and Japan, including its related systems and its production facilities in the UK and United States. The acquisition includes the Flavia tabletop machines business and the Klix freestanding vending machine business. “We are confident this decision will better enable long-term success for the [Mars] Drinks business with Lavazza – a company that shares our values and has a dedicated focus on beverages – and will allow the business and its Associates to continue to thrive,” Mars CEO and President Grant F. Reid says. The businesses involved in the acquisition generated a turnover of approximately US$350 million in 2017, and has a workforce of approximately 900 people. In line with its previous acquisitions — Carte Noire and ESP in France, Merrild in Denmark, Kicking Horse Coffee in Canada, NIMS in Italy and Blue Pod Coffee in Australia — Lavazza says it intends to continue to enhance the acquired businesses, strengthening its direct coverage of all segments of the coffee markets concerned.
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