Barry Callebaut sells Dijon factory to Chocolaterie de Bourgogne

ZURICH - Barry Callebaut AG has completed the final step in disposing all its consumer activities after agreeing to sell its factory and related business in Dijon, France to Chocolaterie de Bourgogne. Last year, it sold its European Consumer Products business (Stollwerck) to the Belgian Baronie Group. The move is line with the Barry Callebaut's decision to focus on business-to-business.
Chocolaterie de Bourgogne will be a business owned and managed by Philippe de Jarcy and his management team. They have long-standing business experience in the consumer chocolate industry and aims to be a specialist in chocolate-based consumer products in all major international consumer markets. To support the business under the new ownership, Barry Callebaut has agreed that "Chocolaterie de Bourgogne" will continue to provide 12,000 tonnes of liquid chocolate per year to Barry Callebaut under a five-year supply contract. The transaction will be executed upon completion of the information and consultation process with the works council.
Following this divestiture, Barry Callebaut expects to report a one-time loss from the discontinued operation of approximately CHF 65 million (EUR 54 million/ US$70 million) for fiscal year 2011/12, which includes the operating result of the discontinued operation, one-off impairments and other one-off expenses incurred in relation to the transaction.*
Juergen Steinemann, CEO of Barry Callebaut, said: "We are very pleased with "Chocolaterie de Bourgogne" as a new owner for our business in Dijon. Philippe de Jarcy and his team have a long-standing business experience in consumer chocolate products. With this transaction, we can now focus entirely on business-to-business."
*These figures are indicative and unaudited and will not affect the operating profit (EBIT) nor net profit from continuing operations of fiscal year 2011/12, but add to the net result from discontinued operations (Stollwerck) previously disclosed.