Continued growth through strategic
acquisitions
AAK’s impressive growth journey over the last
decade has been fueled by both organic growth and
strategic mergers and acquisitions. Several important
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acquisitions were also completed during 2019.
Increased capacity in Europe
In early 2019, we acquired Dutch company
MaasRefinery
B.V., specialized in toll refining of vegetable
oils and fats for the food industry. The rationale
behind the acquisition was to increase capacity, support
existing production facilities and enable continued
growth for AAK.
MaasRefinery is located next to a deep-sea terminal
in Rotterdam and has a capacity of approximately
40,000 MT with room for expansion. The company,
today known as AAK Rotterdam B.V., focuses on
conventional as well as organic oils and fats, the latter
being a key focus area for AAK.
MaasRefinery was established in 2009 and is
designed according to the latest technology with
processes that maximize energy efficiency and minimize
oil losses. The company has integrated well into
AAK and has been able to support our other European
production facilities in a good way.
Premium foodservice products
At the end of February, AAK acquired British foodservice
company BD Foods, a producer of tailor-made restaurant
quality meal accompaniments. The acquisition is
a very good fit with our global foodservice expansion
and provides a complementary range of products at the
premium end of the foodservice market.
With a broad product and packaging offering, a
customer-centric approach and a strong reputation in
UK foodservice, the acquisition has broadened our
product portfolio and given us greater access to some
key operators in the foodservice market.
The company, now acting as AAK BD Foods, was
established in 2001 and is located in St Leonards-
on-Sea on the south coast of England. It has a portfolio
of over 3,000 products that are sold to a wide range
of customers, including restaurants, hotels, airlines,
wholesalers, and food manufacturers.
The first year with AAK BD Foods has been very good
and the company has delivered strong results within our
foodservice business.