Katjes International facts for kids
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| GmbH & Co. KG | |
| Industry | Confectionery manufacturer |
| Founded | 1972 |
| Headquarters |
Emmerich am Rhein
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Key people
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Tobias Bachmüller, Bastian Fassin (managing shareholders) Stephan Milde (managing director, CFO) |
| Revenue | €308.4 million (2018) |
Katjes International GmbH & Co. KG is a company based in Emmerich am Rhein, Germany. It is part of the larger Katjes Group. This company focuses on investing in and buying other companies that make sweets and candies in Western Europe.
Katjes International acts like a special investment group within the Katjes family of companies. Their main goal is to "buy and hold" businesses for a long time. This means that when they buy a company, it usually keeps its own name and management.
Contents
How Katjes International Grew
Katjes International brings together all the investments the Katjes Group makes in Western Europe. They have bought many well-known candy companies over the years.
Early Investments
In 2010, Katjes International bought half of a Dutch company called Festivaldi. This company makes a very popular type of liquorice in the Netherlands. A year later, in 2011, Katjes International took over Lutti. Lutti is a leading candy maker in Belgium and also very popular in France.
In 2012, they bought Continental Sweets Belgium N.V., a candy distributor. The same year, they also acquired Dallmann & Co. This company makes special sage cough candies.
Expanding Across Europe
Katjes International continued to grow in 2014 by buying Piasten. Piasten is Germany's largest maker of chocolate drops and other coated candies. They also own the 'Big Ben' brand.
By 2016, Katjes International owned all of the Dutch company Festivaldi. In 2017, they invested in Josef Manner & Comp. AG, another candy company. Later that year, they took over the brand business of Cloetta Italia S.r.l., which is now called Sperlari S.r.l. again. Sperlari was founded way back in 1836 and is now a major player in the Italian candy market. They are especially known for sweets, liquorice, and seasonal products.
In 2018, Katjes International joined forces with the CPK Group in France. This merger was completed by the end of that year. Also in 2018, they sold their share in the Halloren chocolate factory.
Recent Growth
In 2019, Katjes International first bought a part of the British company Candy Kittens Limited. Later that year, they increased their ownership to more than half. Candy Kittens was started by Jamie Laing, a TV personality. This company makes vegetarian and gluten-free sweets without artificial flavors or colors.
About the Company
Bastian Fassin owns most of Katjes International, about 90 percent. Tobias Bachmüller owns the remaining 10 percent. Both of them help manage the company.
The company's logo has changed a few times. A new logo was introduced in 2011 when the company's name became Katjes International. The current logo was launched in 2019.
From 2014 to 2016, Katjes International sponsored Formula 1 race car driver Nico Hülkenberg. He had also worked with the Katjes Group before, in 2010.
Katjes International is a separate company but is closely related to Katjes Fassin GmbH & Co. KG. This German company is famous for its liquorice cat logo, which has been around since the 1930s. The word "Katjes" means "little cats" in Dutch. Another related company is Fassin B. V. in the Netherlands.
How Katjes International Gets Money to Grow
To buy more companies and keep growing, Katjes International sometimes raises money by issuing something called a corporate bond. This is like borrowing money from investors.
In 2011, they issued a bond to raise €30 million. This money helped them finance new acquisitions. They issued more bonds in 2015 and 2017 to continue their growth plans.
In April 2019, Katjes International issued a third bond. This one raised €110 million and helps them keep investing in new businesses.
Brands Owned by Katjes International
Katjes International and the companies it owns have many popular candy brands in different European countries.
- Piasten (Germany): Known for "Treets," "Schokolinsen," and other sugar-coated chocolates like "Big Ben."
- Lutti (France and Belgium): Makes sour fruit gums such as "Surf Fizz," "Bubblizz," "Scoubidou," "Long Fizz," and "Arlequin."
- Dallmann's (Germany): Famous for Dallmanns "Sage cough drops," which are well-known in German pharmacies.
- Harlekijntjes (Netherlands): Produces popular liquorice products under the Harlekijntjes brand.
- Sperlari (Italy): Some of their best-known brands include Sperlari (fruit gums, sweets, Italian nougat called 'torrone'), Saila (liquorice), Dietorelle (sugar-free products), Dietor (sweetener), and Paluani.
- CPK (France): Their popular brands include "Carambar," "La Pie Qui Chante," and "Krema." They also own the British chocolate brand "Terry's."
- Candy Kittens (UK): A fancy, high-quality sweet brand from the United Kingdom.
- Percy Pig (UK): Pig-shaped gummy sweets made for Marks & Spencer stores.
Awards
Katjes International has received several awards. These awards recognize their smart business plans and their success in the investment market.
