Leaf International
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| Industry | Sugar confectionery |
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| Founded | 1940 |
| Headquarters | Oosterhout, the Netherlands and Stockholm, Sweden |
| Products | candy, gum, pastilles |
| Owner(s) | CVC Capital Partners, Nordic Capital |
| Employees | 2.500 |
| Website | www.leaf.eu |
Leaf International BV is a market leader in candy, chewing gum and pastilles in Sweden, the Netherlands, Finland and Belgium and has a number two position in Norway, Denmark, Belgium and Italy. In total Leaf products are sold in more than 50 countries worldwide. Leaf has leading local brands such as Läkerol, Sportlife, Red Band, Malaco, Jenkki, Saila, Sperlari, Mynthon and Ahlgrens Bilar.
On 15 February 2012 Leaf merged with the Swedish confectionery company Cloetta.[1] The new company is called Cloetta.
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[edit] Company facts
LEAF International is a highly branded company focusing on strong local brands of which many are local icons with a very strong heritage. LEAF products include sugared and sugar-free gum, pastilles, candy, liquorices, peppermints, chocolate, nougat, sweeteners and chews.
LEAF had sales of approximately €527m (2010) and 2,400 employees. It has 11 factories in seven countries. LEAF is owned by CVC Capital Partners, Nordic Capital and management. Bengt Baron is the CEO of LEAF.
[edit] Current brands
- Red Band (Netherlands)
- Läkerol (Sweden)
- Malaco (Sweden)
- Saila (Italy)
- Sportlife (Netherlands, Belgium)
- Jenkki (Finland)
- Chewits (United Kingdom)
- Xylifresh (Netherlands)
- King (Netherlands)
- Sisu (Finland)
- Dietor (Italy)
- Galatine (Italy)
- Sperlari (Italy)
- Tupla (Finland)
- Mynthon (Finland)
- Dietorelle (Italy)
- Venco (Netherlands)
- Ahlgrens bilar (Sweden)
[edit] Company history
The company was originally founded by Sol S. Leaf in Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Leaf started various candy companies beginning in the 1920’s, and they were merged into Leaf Brands in 1947. Its history includes a number of mergers, acquisitions, and divisions, as well as several name changes.
Leaf Confectionery Company introduced Rainblo Bubble Gum in 1940. In 1947, Overland Candy Company merged with Chicago Biscuit Company, Leaf Gum and Leaf Machinery. In 1948, Leaf issued its first set of baseball cards, considered one the of the first sets of "modern" baseball cards. In 1949, Leaf Brands reintroduced malted milk balls under the name of Whoppers Malted Milk Balls.
In the 1960s, The Whoppers Malted Milk Balls brand, along with other products manufactured by Leaf Brands, was purchased by W.R. Grace and in 1976 Candy brands were repurchased by Leaf.
In 1983, Leaf acquired Jolly Rancher.[2] Also in 1983, Leaf Candy Company in Illinois was purchased by Huhtamäki Oyj of Helsinki, Finland, and merged it with Phoenix Candy (the maker of Now and Later) and another candy company it had acquired, all under the Leaf name.[3][4] Huhtamaki Oy acquired the Donruss trading card division of General Mills at about the same time and merged it into Leaf.[5][6]
In 1986, Leaf purchased some confectionery brands from Beatrice Foods, the producer of Milk Duds. Also in 1986, Leaf, Inc. sold Phoenix Candy to Kouri Capital, a Finnish investment firm and change that company's name to Phoenix Confections.[3]
In 1988, Hollywood Brands, the maker of Payday and Zero, was purchased from Sara Lee by Huhtamäki Oyj and became part of Leaf, Inc.[6][7] In 1989, Heath bar was purchased by Leaf.[6]
In the 1990s, Leaf had become one of the world's top ten confectionery companies; it was especially strong in non-chocolate products such as pastilles and chewing gum.[4] By 1993, Leaf was the fourth largest candy producer in North America.[6]
Hershey Foods Corporation acquired the Leaf North American confectionery operations from Huhtamäki Oy in 1996. Over the next few years, Leaf manufacturing and sales became integrated into existing Hershey manufacturing and sales operations, effectively ending Leaf's existence as a separate operating unit in the US.[2][4][8]
In 1999, Leaf's European and Asian business, with brands such as Läkerol, Jenkki and Sportlife, was sold to the Dutch company CSM, who added the brands to their confectionery unit, which already included Malaco, Red Band and Venco. In 2000, CSM acquired Continental Sweets with market positions in France, Belgium, the Netherlands and in UK. In 2001, CSM acquired Socalbe, Italy with brands such as Dietorelle and Dietor.
In 2005, CSM sold its confectionery unit to two private equity firms, CVC Capital Partners and Nordic Capital, who restored the LEAF name and continue to own the company today. In 2007, LEAF acquired Cadbury Italy including the brand Saila.
On 15 February 2012 Leaf merged with the Swedish confectionery company Cloetta.[1] The new company is called Cloetta.
[edit] References
- ^ a b "LEAF and Cloetta merger completed". http://www.leaf.eu/en/Newsroom-redir/News-room/News/LEAF-and-Cloetta-merger-completed/. Retrieved 26-02-2012.
- ^ a b "Hershey's Official Jolly Rancher webpage". http://www.hersheys.com/products/details/jollyrancher.asp. Retrieved 05-03-2006.
- ^ a b Farley and Sather's official site "Farley and Sather's official site". http://www.farleysandsathers.com/History_RainBlo.htm Farley and Sather's official site.
- ^ a b c "Our Journey". Huhtamäki Oyj. http://www.huhtamaki.com/. Retrieved 08-03-2006.
- ^ "About Donruss". Donruss Company. http://www.donruss.com/aboutUs.cfm. Retrieved 08-03-2006.
- ^ a b c d Dyslin, John (07-1993). "LEAF branches out". Prepared Foods.
- ^ "Hershey's Official Zero webpage". http://www.hersheys.com/products/details/zero.asp.
- ^ "Summary". Annual Report. Hershey Foods Corporation. 1998.
