11/07/12 Zentis proudly announces the acquisition of the U.S. company, Sweet Ovations. Zentis is the leading fruit-processing company in Europe, and is currently the number two producer of jams and fruit spreads in Germany. Zentis has operated its own manufacturing facility in Plymouth, Indiana, in the U.S.A. since 2006, in addition to its subsidiaries in Poland, Hungary and Russia.
“Our mission with the acquisition of Sweet Ovations is not directed towards building up a new business in the U.S.; rather, this acquisition allows us to draw on the world-class expertise and facilities of both companies,” advises Stephan Jansen, member of the management board and CFO, responsible for finances and IT/organization. Dietmar Otte, member of the management board and COO, responsible for production and engineering, explains the existing Sweet Ovations facilities are state-of-the-art and can be incorporated into Zentis operations without the need for any modifications. Likewise, the workforce of 250 employees will also be integrated into the Zentis operation. An integration team will oversee a smooth assimilation while allowing all plants to retain a high level of autonomy.
Sweet Ovations has two manufacturing facilities: one East Coast operation in Philadelphia and one West Coast plant near Los Angeles. “This acquisition together with our existing facility in Plymouth, Indiana, is in keeping with our overall expansion strategy and helps solidify our position in North America,” states Karl-Heinz Johnen, member of the management board and CSO, responsible for sales and marketing. Johnen further explains that this move significantly expands the customer portfolio and generates synergies to use resources more efficiently. The executive management regards the acquisition as the next logical step in assisting Zentis to gain an even more prominent international profile and to develop markets outside of Europe. Moreover, this alliance will generate strong research and development collaboration and depth. “Sweet Ovations will enable us to enrich our internally generated expertise in areas such as bakery products, ice cream and foodservice,” says Norbert Weichele, CEO of Zentis Food Solutions North America. “This will provide the company with a great deal of potential for new growth.”
