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 Katjes Group, which also includes Katjes Fassin (known for its sweets in Germany) and Katjesgreenfood. Katjes International focuses on investing in and buying companies that make sweets and candies in Western Europe. They like to buy companies and keep them running independently with their original teams. This means the companies they buy continue to make their own products and are managed by their local staff.
History of Sweet Deals
Katjes International started its journey of investing in sweet companies in Western Europe.
- In 2010, they bought half of a Dutch company called Festivaldi. This company makes a very popular liquorice product in the Netherlands called "Harlekijntjes."
- In 2011, Katjes International took over Lutti, a company that makes sweets. Lutti is a top sweet maker in Belgium and very popular in France.
- In early 2012, they bought Continental Sweets Belgium N.V., another Belgian company. In the same year, they also acquired Dallmann & Co., which makes popular sage cough candies.
- In September 2014, Katjes International bought Piasten. Piasten is Germany's largest maker of chocolate drops and other coated sweets. They also own the 'Big Ben' brand.
- In January 2016, Katjes increased its share in the Dutch company Festivaldi to 100%. This meant they fully owned the company.
- On June 9, 2017, Katjes International announced they had bought a share in Josef Manner & Comp. AG. This company is famous for its wafers.
- Later, on September 5, 2017, they took over the entire brand business of Cloetta Italia S.r.l. This company was founded in 1836 and is now known as Sperlari S.r.l. again. Sperlari is a major player in the Italian sweet market. They are leaders in sweets, liquorice, and seasonal products.
- At the end of August 2018, Katjes International joined forces with the CPK Group in France. This merger was completed by the end of 2018.
- In December 2018, they sold their share in the Halloren chocolate factory.
- In August 2019, Katjes International bought a share in the British company Candy Kittens Limited. This company was started by Jamie Laing, a TV star. Candy Kittens makes vegetarian and gluten-free sweets without artificial flavors or colors. By November 2019, Katjes had increased its share to own more than half of Candy Kittens.
About the Company
Bastian Fassin owns 90% of Katjes International, and Tobias Bachmüller owns the other 10%. Both of them are managing shareholders, which means they help run the company. The main partner of Katjes International is Xaver Fassin International GmbH.
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 company logo was launched in 2019.
From 2014 to 2016, Katjes International sponsored Formula 1 racing driver Nico Hülkenberg. He had also worked with the Katjes Group in 2010.
Katjes International is a separate but related company to the German sweet maker Katjes Fassin GmbH & Co. KG. Katjes Fassin was started in 1910 in the Netherlands. It 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 's-Heerenberg, Netherlands.
How They Get Money
To buy more companies and grow, Katjes International sometimes gets money by issuing "corporate bonds." These are like loans from many people or companies.
- In July 2011, they issued bonds to get €30 million. These bonds had a fixed interest rate of 7.125% per year and would be paid back in five years.
- In March 2012, they got an additional €15 million from these bonds, making the total €45 million.
- In May 2015, Katjes International issued new bonds to get €60 million. These had an annual interest rate of 5.5%. They used this money to pay back the older bonds early.
- On May 16, 2017, they increased the 2015 bonds by another €35 million.
- In April 2019, Katjes International issued a third set of bonds. They got €110 million with an annual interest rate of 4.25% for five years.
Sweet Brands They Own
Katjes International and the companies it owns have many popular sweet brands in different European countries.
- Piasten (Germany): They make "Treets," "Schokolinsen," and other sugar-coated chocolates like "Big Ben."
- Lutti (France and Belgium): Known for sour fruit gums like "Surf Fizz," "Bubblizz," "Scoubidou," "Long Fizz," and "Arlequin."
- Dallmann's (Germany): They make "Dallmanns Sage cough drops," a well-known brand in German pharmacies.
- Harlekijntjes (Netherlands): This brand makes popular liquorice products.
- Sperlari (Italy): Some of their famous brands include Sperlari (fruit gums, sweets, Italian nougat called 'torrone'), Saila (liquorice), Dietorelle (sugar-free products), Dietor (sweetener), and Paluani.
- CPK (France): Their best-known brands are "Carambar," "La Pie Qui Chante," and "Krema." They also own the British chocolate brand "Terry's."
- Candy Kittens (UK): This is a high-end gourmet sweet brand from the United Kingdom.
- Percy Pig (UK): These are pig-shaped gummy sweets made for Marks & Spencer.
Awards
Katjes International has received several awards. These awards recognize their smart strategies and achievements in the investment market.
