The latest acquisition will be the Paris-based bakery firm’s fifth in the past two years.
Last year, Biscuit International procured Arluy – Spain’s fifth largest producer and distributor of biscuits – along with Northumbrian Fine Foods in the UK and Netherlands-based Stroopwafel en Co. It acquired Germany’s A&W Feinbackwaren in 2017.
The Aviateur transaction is subject to approval and the financial terms were not disclosed.
Win-win
“The proposed acquisition of Aviateur is a win-win situation for both companies,” said Giampaolo Schiratti, CEO of Biscuit International.
“The transaction would be a considerable milestone in our pursuit to create an ever more diversified, high-quality product portfolio for the benefit of our European customers and their consumers.”
Biscuit International – owned by French private-equity firm Qualium Investments – is one of Europe’s leading biscuit manufacturers. It operates 14 plants and has an annual turnover of €400m ($452m).
The deal will add another six factories in Europe to Biscuit International’s bundle, bringing its capacity to around 170,000 tons of biscuits and waffles.
Broek op Langedijk-based Aviateur is a family-owned private-label producer with an annual turnover of €105m ($118.6m).
It produces around six million products daily – ranging from cakes to biscuits, pastry tarts and Dutch syrup waffles – 70% of which are sold locally and the remainder exported to 35 countries around the world.
“I'm convinced that this transaction would allow Aviateur to enter the next phase of its development for the benefit of its clients and their end-consumers in markets including notably France, UK and Italy as well as for our employees,” added Ronald Komen, majority shareholder in Aviateur and its COO.
Once the deal is finalized, most of Aviateur’s senior management will continue to lead the business, including CEO Richard Kornet, commercial director Ron Leeuwenkamp and finance director Eric Voschezan.