Spanish natural ingredients firm Importaco acquires Italian business Besana
Spanish-based food company Importaco, which specialises in fruit and nuts for the food sector including for confectionery, has agreed a deal for the Italian snacks, nuts and chocolate business, Besana.
As the firm explained to Confectionery Production, the deal amounted to a 51% capital share investment of its latest acquisition, in a move that will see its international presence increased in now offering a greater range of natural products.
The company said the deal – which was for an undisclosed value – will enable the group to reinforce its competitive position as a European leader in the nuts and dried fruits market, with presence in markets including Spain, the UK, Italy, Belgium, Germany, France, Poland and Scandinavia. It believed the two enterprises were complimentary, as family-owned companies with over a hundred years’ consolidated experience within the industry.
They share a customer-oriented and healthy eating approach, as well as operating a business model based on product quality, process efficiency, and high production capacity through their network of factories. Importaco (below) specialises in the nuts and natural drinks business. It distributes to the retail segment in the Spanish market as a Mercadona supplier.
It also operates in the agrofood industry ingredients markets, and in the foodservice market for the hotel and catering industry through other distributors. Toño Pons (pictured) will be the chairman of the new group following the integration.
Besana, which has its manufacturing headquarters in Naples, as well as having a UK base in Ipswich, specialises in nuts, dried fruit and seeds, with a strong focus on quality and innovation. It is a leader in research and development, and as a result, has an extensive range of products and packaging.
The company mainly distributes to the retail segment and has a strong presence in the United Kingdom, Belgium, Germany, Scandinavian and Eastern European countries, as well as Italy.
In addition, the Besana-Calcagni family will belong to Group leadership team following the integration. Riccardo Calcagni has been confirmed as chief executive officer and Pino Calcagni as Honorary President of Besana.
Further to this, the combination of the two businesses’ consolidates the leadership in the European nuts business into a group with strong competitive advantage in value chain integration, industrial network, and the potential for increased sales.
The merger fosters a leadership underpinned by the partners’ shared vision, and backed by an established track-record linked to differential values in its activity, such as food safety, quality, innovation, sustainability and market knowledge. It also ensures the group’s sustainable long-term growth, and strengthens its position in the European market with a number of competitive advantages.
