AarhusKarlshamn completes acquisition of oils and fats producer Unipro from Unilever

Producer of vegetable oils and fats AarhusKarlshamn (AAK) has completed the acquisition of Unipro from Unilever for an undisclosed amount.

The acquisition, which is subject to approval by the competition authorities, includes ten established brands, a core management and sales organisation, all related know-how and the Unipro company name for bakery and industrial fats.

Although the deal does not include Unipro facilities, AAK has signed a five-year toll manufacturing agreement with Unilever related to the supply of 50,000t of Unipro products, and the factory will continue to manufacture other ingredients for Unilever customers.

AAK senior vice-president Torben Friis Lange said: "AAK will strengthen its presence in the 16th largest economy in the world, which also has a strong real GDP growth."

AAK Group president and CEO Arne Frank added: "This acquisition will serve as a platform for increased AAK sales of semi-speciality and speciality products in Turkey and the Middle East."

AAK stated that the acquisition is expected to have limited impact on operating profit for the fiscal 2013.

Headquartered in Malmö, Sweden, AAK refines and sells vegetable oils for specialised products primarily in Europe and the US.

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Image: AAK stated that the acquisition of Unipro is part of the company’s strategy to increase focus on growth markets. Photo courtesy of AarhusKarlshamn AB.