Barilla completes the sale of Lieken to Agrofert

The transaction, which has been approved by the European Union, will allow Barilla to grow in its core business.

The transaction between Barilla and the Czech group Agrofert for the sale of Lieken, a leader in the German bakery product market, has been officially concluded.

The sale, approved by the European Competition Authority, further strengthens Barilla’s financial soundness and will allow the Parma-based company to concentrate on developing its core business, consolidating its leadership in the European and US markets, and to take advantage of new opportunities in emerging countries, above all Brazil.

‘Our strategy,’ stated Guido Barilla, Chairman of the Barilla Group, ‘focuses on developing pasta, sauces and ready meals on a global level – from the Americas to the Far East – and strengthening the bakery products that carry our own brands in Italy and in the main European countries.’

The strategy has a well-defined goal to reach: ‘Our goal is to double revenuesby 2020, taking the Italian-style main course to every corner of the globe and consolidating our leadership in the bakery segment, where we already operate with our own brands,’ stated Claudio Colzani, Chief Executive Officer of the Barilla Group.

A concrete example of the corporate strategy are the measures implemented in Brazil, where a new range of locally produced Barilla pasta and sauces has hit the shelves. The Company aims to increase revenues in Brazil from 18 million Euros in 2012 to 200 million Euros by 2020, thanks to a product range designed to meet the requirements of Brazilian consumers.