Orkla Foods to acquire 100% of the shares in the Austrian company Bioquelle GmbH

OSLO, 25-6-2015 — /EuropaWire/ — Orkla Foods, through its wholly-owned subsidiary FELIX Austria GmbH, has entered into an agreement to acquire 100 % of the shares in the Austrian company Bioquelle GmbH.

Bioquelle holds strong positions in Austria in categories such as muesli, nuts, dried fruits, health and organic foods, as well as distribution of soy based products.

“With the acquisition of Bioquelle Orkla Foods will broaden its product portfolio and strengthen its position in the breakfast and health categories. This acquisition is strategically important as it enables Orkla Foods to build a stronger presence in growing segments such as organic food and soy based products,” says Atle Vidar Nagel-Johansen, EVP and CEO of Orkla Foods.

The main markets of Bioquelle are Austria and Slovenia. The company reported net sales of EUR 18 million (NOK 164 million) and an EBITDA of approx. EUR 0.7 million (NOK 5.9 million) in 2014.

About one third of its revenues is generated by Bioquelle’s brands. In addition, Bioquelle has a distribution agreement for soy-based products under the Alpro brand.

Bioquelle has around 50 employees and its headquarter and production facilities are located in Steyr, Austria. The company was founded in 1926, and is currently owned by Klaus and Ingrid Lösch.

The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price at this stage.

The agreement is subject to the approval of the Austrian competition authorities.

About Orkla
Orkla is a leading supplier of branded consumer goods and concept solutions to the grocery, out-of-home and bakery markets in the Nordics, the Baltics and selected markets in central Europe and India. Orkla is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange and has its head office in Oslo. In 2014, the Group had a turnover of NOK 30 billion, and around 13,000 employees at year-end.

About Orkla Foods
Orkla Foods comprises Orkla’s ten food businesses in the Nordics, Baltics, Austria, the Czech Republic and India. The companies in this business area are Orkla Foods Norge, Orkla Foods Sverige, Orkla Foods Danmark, Orkla Foods Finland, Põltsamaa Felix in Estonia, Spilva in Latvia, Suslavicius-Felix in Lithuania, Felix in Austria, Vitana in the Czech Republic and MTR Foods in India.

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Group Director Corporate Communications and Corporate Affairs
Håkon Mageli
Tel.: +47 928 45 828