Arca Continental, the Mexico-based food and beverage company, has expanded its snacks presence in Ecuador with the purchase of Carlita Snacks.
Better known as Carlisnacks, the business adds to Arca’s acquisition in 2012 of Ecuador’s Industrias Alimenticias Ecuatorianas, or Inalecsa, the same year the Mexican firm bought US snacks company Wise Foods in Pennsylvania.
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Arca, the second-largest bottler for Coca-Cola in Latin America, did not disclose the purchase price for Carlisnacks in a statement provided to Just Food. The company said the acquired business will be operated under its Inalecsa subsidiary.
Media reports in Mexico suggested the deal was struck through another Arca subsidiary, AC Alimentos y Botanas, although that was not confirmed by the Bokados brand owner.
Based in Quito, Pichincha, Carlisnacks was founded in 2000 by Rodrigo Laso, Carlos Forero and Nelson Aragón, and supplies the local Ecuadorian market and also exports to Columbia. It produces potato and tortilla chips, as well as the Fruti Bcom brand of breakfast cereals.
Carlisnacks’ potato chip brands include Panchitos, Pica Pica, Q’Chifles, Pa’ Fritas and Picaditas, among others. It supplies tortilla chips under the Torti Jacks line.
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By GlobalData“The purchase was made under the company’s commitment to strengthen and diversify
the portfolio of snacks and sweet and savoury foods,” Arca said, adding that its portfolio companies “will continue to innovate in new market segments”.
Arca maintains a commitment to “continue investing and collaborating for the growth of the food and beverage industry in Ecuador”, the company said.
In its latest annual results for the calendar year 2020, Arca reported a 4% increase in sales to MXN169.3m (US$8.2m). EBITDA climbed 5.7% to MXN32.2m and net income was up 7.2% at MXN10.3m.
