5 March 2008 - German biscuit and cake manufacturer Griesson de Beukelaer GmbH & Co. KG has acquired biscuit company Wurzener Dauerbackwaren, part of Cologne chocolate producer Stollwerck, for an undisclosed sum, Griesson said in a statement.
Stollwerck had been seeking for a buyer for Wurzener Dauerbackwaren as the firm wanted to focus on its core chocolate activities.
Based near Leipzig, Wurzener Dauerbackwaren has 190 employees.
Polch-based Griesson achieved an overall market share of 15 % in the German biscuit and pastry sector, according to AC Nielsen data.
Established in 1999 after the merger of Griesson and Danone's subsidiary General Biscuits, Griesson de Beukelaer produces Prinzenrolle, TUC crackers, and chocolate biscuits Mikado amongst other products. The company produced 141,000 tons of pastry products in 2006 and its turnover was recorded at 402 million euro that year.
In May 2007, FLEXNEWS reported that dairy giant Danone sold its 40% stake in Griesson de Beukelaer GmbH & Co. KG. The German firm said that its founder Heinz Gries (about 95%) and CEO Andreas Land (about 5%) were the sole owners. Danone said it would continue to work with Griesson in the form of a distribution agreement in Germany and Austria.