Lotus Bakeries facts for kids
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| Public | |
| Traded as | Euronext: LOTB |
| Industry | Food |
| Founded | 1932, called "Banket- en Peperkoekbakkerij Lotus" |
| Founder | Jan, Emiel and Henri Boone |
| Headquarters | Lembeke, Kaprijke, Belgium. |
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Key people
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Jan Boone (CEO) |
Lotus Bakeries NV is a company from Belgium that makes many different kinds of snacks. It started in 1932. The company is famous for its delicious Speculoos cookies, which are known as Biscoff in many countries like the United States and Australia.
Besides Biscoff, Lotus Bakeries also owns other popular snack brands. These include nākd, TREK, BEAR, Kiddylicious, Peter’s Yard, Dinosaurus, Peijnenburg, and Annas.
Lotus Bakeries makes its products in several countries. They have factories in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Sweden, South Africa, and the United States. A new factory for Biscoff cookies is being built in Thailand and should open by 2026.
This company sells its snacks in about 70 countries around the world. These countries are in Europe, America, Asia, and Australia. Lotus Bakeries has about 3,000 employees. In 2023, the company made over 1 billion Euros in sales.
Since 1988, you can buy shares of Lotus Bakeries on the stock market called Euronext Brussels. This means parts of the company can be owned by many people. The Boone and Stevens families own most of the company. Jan Boone, whose grandfather was one of the founders, has been the main boss (CEO) since 2011.
Contents
How Lotus Bakeries Started
The company began in a town called Lembeke, Belgium, in 1932. Three brothers named Jan, Emiel, and Henri Boone started it. Jan Boone named the company "Lotus" after the lotus flower. He chose this name because the flower stands for purity.
In the 1950s, the brothers started wrapping their Lotus Speculoos biscuits one by one. This made them easy to serve. By 1956, these cookies were offered with coffee in restaurants and cafes across Belgium. Soon after, in 1960, Lotus Speculoos cookies were sold in nearby countries too.
In 1974, Lotus joined with another company called Corona. This happened when they partnered with the Stevens family. After this, Lotus Bakeries started making cakes and other pastries. Pre-packaged pastries were becoming very popular at that time.
The Speculoos cookie got a new name, Lotus Biscoff, in 1986. This new name was slowly introduced in all countries. In the mid-1980s, many airlines began giving Lotus Biscoff cookies as a free treat during flights.
Growing the Company
From the 1990s, Lotus Bakeries grew a lot by adding other companies and brands.
- 1999: They added Suzy wafels to their products.
- 2006: They started making gingerbread with the Peijnenburg brand.
- 2008: They added ginger cookies from the Annas brand.
- 2012: They bought the Dinosaurus brand and started making those cookies themselves in 2013.
Since 2015, Lotus Bakeries also started making natural snacks. They did this by buying three companies from Britain.
- 2015: They partnered with Natural Balance Foods ('NBF'). This company makes healthy snack bars under the nākd and TREK brands.
- 2016: They bought BEAR, a brand that makes natural fruit snacks for kids.
- 2018: They bought Kiddylicious, a British brand that makes snacks for babies and young children.
- 2020: Lotus Bakeries took full control of Natural Balance Foods. This meant they owned all the nākd and TREK brands.
- 2020: A new main office for Lotus Natural Foods was created in Switzerland.
- 2022: They bought Peter's Yard, a British company that makes sourdough crackers and crispbreads.
Over the past few years, Lotus Bakeries has also built new factories in different parts of the world.
- Biscoff cookies have always been made in Lembeke, Belgium. In 2019, a new factory opened in Mebane, North Carolina, in the United States. This was the first time Biscoff was made outside Belgium. A third Biscoff factory is now being built in Thailand. It will start making cookies in 2026.
- Since 2019, a factory for the BEAR brand snacks has been in South Africa. In early 2024, a new factory for nākd snacks opened right next to the BEAR factory there.
- Other local products from Lotus Bakeries are made in their home countries. These include Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Sweden.
Company Leadership
Karel Boone, who is the son of the founder Jan Boone Sr., became a director in 1966. He was the CEO of Lotus Bakeries for 32 years, from 1974 to 2006. He was also the president of the company for 46 years, from 1966 to 2012.
In 2006, Karel's brother Matthieu became the CEO. At the end of 2011, a new generation took over. Jan Boone, the grandson of the founder, became the new CEO.
Main Leaders of the Company
The Executive Committee is a group of people who decide the plans and goals for Lotus Bakeries. They then show these plans to the Board of Directors for approval.
- Jan Boone, who is the CEO (Chief Executive Officer).
- Isabelle Maes, who is the CMO (Chief Marketing Officer) for Lotus Bakeries and CEO for Natural Foods.
- Mike Cuvelier, who is the CFO (Chief Financial Officer).
- Ignace Heyman, who is the COO (Chief Operating Officer).
- William Du Pré, who is the Corporate Director for Quality, Procurement, and Research & Development.
