German confectioner Boettger Gruppe has snapped up local peer Jahnke
Süßwaren for an undisclosed sum.
The owner of the Cavendish & Harvey brand has bought liquorice specialist Jahnke from another local confectioner, Ragolds Invest.
Boettger said the acquisition will add liquorice to its hard candy portfolio and expand production capacity through it gaining a second facility near its Kaltenkirchen site.
Tinned and jarred hard candy brand Cavendish & Harvey brand dates back to 1977 and is sold in more than 100 countries.
Boettger said the brand has grown to the point where the existing production facilities in Kaltenkirchen have reached their limits and some of the production has been outsourced to the neighbouring Jahnke factory.
The company said the two sites will be closely linked to “create synergies, utilise resources more effectively and promote innovation”.
Alexander Mock, managing partner of Boettger, said: “Having already worked successfully with Jahnke, this acquisition is a logical next step in expanding our production capacities and making us more flexible.”
Frank Gemmrig, Cavendish & Harvey managing director, added: “The acquisition of Jahnke is strategically important for us in two ways. On the one hand, the liquorice specialities of the Jahnke brand are a sensible addition to our existing range. On the other hand, finding a production facility close to our own site is a stroke of luck.
“This will increase our flexibility and give us additional capacity. In this way we are preserving existing jobs, creating new ones and contributing to the future economic development of the region.”
Boettger has 160 employees at its facility in Kaltenkirchen, predominantly making Cavendish & Harvey products. Cavendish & Harvey has been owned by Boettger since 2002.
Boettger also owns Berlin-based Boettger Food Ingredients, a
supplier of granulated and liquid sugar as well as nuts and dried fruit to the confectionery, beverage and food industries.
Hamburg-based Ragolds Invest owns other confectionery products, including some brands linked to films and TV programmes such as Minions, Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol.
Just Food has asked Jahnke and Ragolds for their comments on the deal.
