Barry Callebaut
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| Company type | Public (Template:Swiss Exchange) |
|---|---|
| ISIN | CH0009002962  |
| Founded | Merger of Cacao Barry and Callebaut in 1996 |
| Headquarters | Zurich, Switzerland |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Chocolate |
| Revenue | 10,386,300,000 Swiss franc (2024) |
| 704,400,000 Swiss franc (2024) | |
| 417,500,000 Swiss franc (2024) | |
Number of employees | 7000 (2006) |
| Website | Barry-Callebaut.com |
Barry Callebaut is a multi-national chocolate manufacturing company, and is the only major company entirely devoted to the production of chocolate as a raw material (rather than for marketing directly to consumers). It was created through the merger of the Belgian company Callebaut and the French company Cacao Barry. It is now based in Zürich, Switzerland, and operates in 26 countries worldwide.
Its customers include multinational and national branded consumer goods manufacturers, artisanal users of chocolate (chocolatiers, pastry chefs, bakeries and caterers), and food retailers, for whom it makes customer label as well as branded products. In these markets it claims an estimated 40% share of sales volumes. Its main competitors include Nestle, Kraft, and Hershey's.
In addition to manufacture, the company undertakes research into chocolate recipies: for example, in recent years it has launched tooth-friendly chocolate, probiotic chocolate, chocolate with a high level of antioxidants (sold under the brand name ACTICOA), and "rebalanced" chocolate, which has an improved nutritional profile.
History
Cacao Barry
Cacao Barry was founded by Charles Barry in France in 1842. The company's founder traveled to Africa to seek out a selection of cocoa beans that would enable him to create his first connoisseur’s chocolate. In 1923, Alexandre Lacarré took over the reins and carried out a number of ambitious projects for the company. In 1952, Cacao Barry became active from bean to gourmet chocolate. In 1963, the company created "Baking Sticks" and simultaneously the chocolate croissant (“pain au chocolat”). In 1973, they launched the “Your demonstration partner” brand to introduce personalized assistance & support to professionals. In 1994, shortly before the merger of 1996, they launched the Pure Origin brand.
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 began producing chocolate couverture in 1925.
Bernard Callebaut
One of Eugenius Callebaut's great-great-grandsons, Bernard Callebaut, opened his own chocolate company in Calgary, Alberta. This firm (called Chocolaterie Bernard Callebaut) is not affiliated with Barry Callebaut.
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 SIX. As of June 2002, the CEO of Barry Callebaut company is the Belgian Patrick De Maeseneire. In 2008, the company has 40 factories located in 26 countries, producing an annual 1,166,000 tons of chocolate, out of which approximately 220,000 tons are produced in the Belgian Wieze factory. The company has more than 7000 employees worldwide and is recognized as the heart and engine of the chocolate industry.
Acquisitions since original merger
In 1999 the company acquired Swiss chocolate maker Carma AG. In 2002, the combined firm bought U.S. confectioner Brach's. In 2002 the group bought Stollwerck in Germany. This made them the second-largest chocolate producer in the world.
These acquisitions were followed in 2003 by the acquisition of Dutch-Belgian company Luijckx Chocoladen N.V., AM Foods amba (Vending mixes) in Sweden in 2004, FPI Food Processing International in the U.S in 2007 and KL-Kepong Cocoa Products Sdn Bhd in Malaysia in 2008. Next to its acquisitions, Barry Callebaut recently opened chocolate factories in Russia, China, Spain and Mexico. It divested Brach's Confections Holding in 2007 to focus on its core business, which is chocolate.
Barry Callebaut is now present in 26 countries, operates about 40 production facilities, employs more than 7,000 people and has annual sales of more than CHF 4,8 billion fiscal year 2007/08. 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.
Company History
- 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.)
- 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 Chekhov (near Moscow), Russia
- 2007 Major outsourcing contracts with Nestlé, Hershey’s and Cadbury
- 2007 Acquisition of a cocoa factory in Pennsylvania, U.S.
- 2008 Opening of a chocolate factory in Suzhou (near Shanghai), China
- 2008 Signing of the acquisition of chocolate production capacity from Morinaga, Japan
- 2008 Opening of Chocolate Academies in Suzhou (China), Zundert (Netherlands), Mumbai (India), Chekhov (Russia) and Chicag(U.S.)
- 2008 Acquisition of a 60% stake in KL-Kepong Cocoa Products Sdn Bhd in Malaysia
- 2008 Strategic partnership with Biolands of Tanzania
- 2008 Sale of African consumer business
- 2008 Opening of a chocolate factory in Monterrey, Mexico
Products
Barry Callebaut offers a huge standard range of chocolates, fillings and decorations, compounds as well as other cocoa and/or nut-based products for the chocolate, ice cream, biscuit, dairy, and other food industries. Their standard range is packaged as blocks, easymelts, drops, pearls, sticks or in liquid form. The company also offers chocoalte products to meet the special needs of artisan customers, including bakers, pastry chefs, hotels, restaurants and caterers and produces a small number of consumer products under the brands Sarotti, Jacques and Alprose.
In 2005, Barry Callebaut introduced a "healthy" chocolate product called ACTICOA, which contains higher levels of polyphenol(cocoa flavanol) antioxidants; these are popularly believed to have health benefits.[1]
Awards
- In November 2005, America's Test Kitchen named Callebaut's cocoa powder its top brand for baking. It had previously named Callebaut's baking chocolate its "best value" in taste tests.
- In April 2007, Barry Callebaut CEO De Maeseneire received the Vlerick Award from the Alumni of the Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School.
- In the January & February 2008 issue of Cook's Illustrated magazine, Callebaut's Intense Dark Chocolate, L-60-40NV topped the recommended list in a tasting of dark chocolate.[2]
Chocolate Academies
In various locations all over the world, Barry Callebaut has set up training centres for chocolate professionals who wish to improve their working skills in chocolate and learn about new trends, techniques and recipes. Chocolate academies are currently located in Wieze (Belgium), St. Hyacinthe (Canada), Meulan (France), Lodz (Poland), Singapore, Zürich (Switzerland), Banbury (United Kingdom), Suzhou (China), Zundert (the Netherlands), and recently Mumbai (India) and Chicago(USA).
References
External links
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