Barry Callebaut

Barry Callebaut is a multi-national chocolate manufacturing company. The company produces some consumer chocolate products, but the majority of its sales is to other food manufacturers. Stemming from the merger of the Belgian Callebaut company and the French Cacao Barry company, Barry Callebaut now is based in Zürich, Switzerland. The company prides itself in being the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate – from the cocoa bean to the finished product on the store shelf.

History

Cacao Barry

Cacao Barry was founded by Charles Barry in France in 1842. A short history of

1842, starting in business with tea and coffee, Charles Barry, a true innovator with a passion for chocolate, travelled to Africa to seek out a selection of cocoa beans that would enable him to create his very first connoisseur’s chocolate.
1923 : Alexandre Lacarré carries out the ambitious projects of the company.
1952 : Cacao Barry is active from bean to gourmet chocolate.
1963 : Creation of the Baking Sticks and simultaneously the so famous “pains au chocolat!”
1973 : “Your demonstration partner” first brand to introduce personalized assistance & support to professionals.
1994 : Creation of the Pure Origine of Cacao Barry.

Callebaut

Callebaut was a Belgian company, founded by Eugenius Callebaut as a brewery in Wieze, Belgium, in 1850. The brewery began producing chocolate bars in 1911 and soon switched entirely to chocolate production. They started creating chocolate couverture in 1925.

Merger & IPO

In 1996 the Belgian chocolate producer Callebaut and the French chocolate company Cacao Barry joined forces, creating a new company called Barry Callebaut. By that time, both Cacao Barry and Callebaut were recognized in the food industry as reliable suppliers of high-quality products and as dependable business partners for thousands of wholesale and retail specialists in the chocolate industry.

In 1998 Barry Callebaut was listed on the Swiss Exchange SWX. In 1999 the company acquired Swiss chocolate maker Carma AG. In 2002 the group bought Stollwerck in Germany, followed in 2003 by the acquisition of Dutch-Belgian company Luijckx Chocoladen N.V., in 2004 of AM Foods amba (Vending mixes) in Sweden and in 2007 of FPI Food Processing International in the U.S. Barry Callebaut recently opened chocolate factories in Russia and in China.

Barry Callebaut is now present in 25 countries, operates about 40 production facilities, employs approximately 7,500 people and has annual sales of more than CHF 4 billion fiscal year 2006/07. The company serves the entire food industry, from food manufacturers to professional users of chocolate (such as chocolatiers, pastry chefs or bakers), to global retailers. It also provides a comprehensive range of services in the fields of product development, processing, training and marketing.

Acquisitions since original merger

1999 Acquisition of Carma AG in Switzerland
2002 Acquisition of the Stollwerck Group in Germany
2003 Acquisition of Dutch Group Graverboom B.V. (including Luijckx B.V.)
2003 Acquisition of Brach’s Confections Holding Inc. in the U.S.
2004 Acquisition of the vending mix business of AM Foods in Sweden
2004 Opening of a sales office in Tokyo, Japan
2005 Opening of a chocolate factory in California, U.S.
2007 Opening of a chocolate factory in Russia
2007 Construction of a chocolate factory in China
2007 Start of construction of a chocolate factory in Mexico
2007 Divestment of Brach’s sugar-candy business
2007 Major outsourcing contracts with Nestlé, Hershey’s and Cadbury
2007 Opening of a sales office and Chocolate Academy in Mumbai, India
2008 Opening of a chocolate factory in Suzhou/Shanghai, China

Chocolate Academies

All over the world, Barry Callebaut set up training centres chocolate professionals who wish to improve their working skills in chocolate and learn about new trends, techniques and recipes. Chocolate academies are located in Wieze (Belgium), St. Hyacinthe (Canada), Meulan (France), Lodz (Poland), Singapore, Zürich (Switzerland), Banbury (United Kingdom), Suzhou (China) and recently Mumbai (India).

References

External links

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