Lavazza finalizes agreement to acquire Mars Drinks business (Flavia and Klix systems) from Mars, Incorporated

Following the agreement, the acquired business becomes Lavazza Professional

Turin, Italy/Mclean, VA (December 27, 2018) – Today the Lavazza Group finalized the agreement – as already communicated last October 1st – to acquire Mars’ coffee businesses, including the Flavia and Klix systems, leading brands in the Office Coffee Service (OCS) and Vending segments. The new name of the acquired business becomes Lavazza Professional.

Through this deal, the Lavazza Group, in accordance with its strategy of consolidation at the international level, has acquired Mars’ coffee businesses in North America, Germany, the UK, France, Canada and Japan, including its related systems and its production facilities in the UK and United States.

Lavazza Professional includes the Flavia tabletop machines business and the Klix Vending machine business, which boast a machine park installed throughout their markets of operation, and a broad portfolio of coffee and other beverages commercialized under both proprietary brands (e.g. Alterra) as well as through licensed brands.

The businesses involved in the acquisition generated a turnover of approximately US$350 million in 2017, and has a workforce of approximately 900 people.

In line with its previous acquisitions — Carte Noire and ESP in France, Merrild in Denmark, Kicking Horse Coffee in Canada, NIMS in Italy and Blue Pod Coffee in Australia — Lavazza intends to strengthen its direct coverage of all segments of the coffee markets concerned, with a particular emphasis on Away-from-Home, according to an approach based on increasingly direct interaction with consumers.

Lavazza was advised by J.P. Morgan, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, PwC and The Boston Consulting Group. Mars, Incorporated was advised by BofA Merrill Lynch, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, KPMG LLP and Rabo Securities USA.