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Article: INTERNATIONAL MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS.(includes multiple briefs on various companies' operations)
- Article from:
- The Food Institute Report
- Article date:
- May 17, 1999
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 The Food Institute. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Barilla Alimentare SpA, Parma, Italy, the world's largest pasta manufacturer, acquired the Swedish Wasa crispbread business from Novartis, a Swiss pharmaceutical group, for $314 million, including debt. Barilla will take over operation of existing Wasa plants in Sweden, Germany, Denmark and Poland, with a total workforce of 1,350 and estimated 1998 worldwide sales of $198 million. In 1997, Barilla pegged its share of the Italian bakery market, including bread sticks, cakes, minicakes, crackers, biscuits and cookies, at 36%, compared with a 33% pasta share. On a related note, Novartis said it was selling its Eden health food business to De-Vau-Ge Gesund- kostwerk, GmbH, ...