10 December 2007 – Food flavouring manufacturer Nactis has acquired Sofral, another French flavouring manufacturer, via its subsidiary, PB Nactis, the group has announced in a statement.
Sofral will change its name to Nactis-Sofral as a result of the acquisition and will merge with PB Nactis as soon as possible.
Strasbourg-based Sofral specialises in developing and manufacturing flavourings, natural colourings and functional ingredients for the food industry. The company’s turnover reached the 26 million euro mark in 2006 and its production could reach 10,000 tonnes in 2007. Sofral is also present abroad via two subsidiaries in Poland and in Bulgaria.
PB Nactis, with around 46 employees, achieved an annual turnover of 12.5 million euros in 2006 for an annual production of 3,500 tonnes.
The new company, which will have five subsidiaries abroad, should achieve a combined 58 million euro turnover in 2007, rising to an estimated 62 million euros in 2008.
Sofral’s three sites will eventually be relocated to a single modern factory with an annual capacity of 20,000 tonnes.
In order for the acquisition of Sofral to be possible, Nactis opened its capital to two investors, Naxicap and Unigrains, which together brought 12 million euros to the company.
The acquisition is in keeping with Nactis’s objectives, which include listing on Alternext in order to finance the group’s development, especially abroad, and increasing turnover to 100 million euros, including 50 million euros abroad, by 2012.