In 1996 the Belgian chocolate producer Callebaut and the French chocolate company Cacao Barry joined forces, creating a new company called Barry Callebaut. Both Cacao Barry and Callebaut were widely recognized in the food industry as reliable suppliers of high-quality products and as dependable business partners for thousands of wholesale and retail specialists in the chocolate industry. The merger combined Cacao Barry’s know-how in procurement and initial processing of cocoa beans with Callebaut’s extensive experience in producing and marketing chocolate products.
After 1996, the company continued to grow through geographic expansion into strategic growth markets, outsourcing contracts, innovation and acquisitions. Since 1998 Barry Callebaut has been listed on the Swiss Exchange SWX.
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1999
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Acquisition of Carma AG in Switzerland
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2002
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Acquisition of the Stollwerck Group in Germany
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2003
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Acquisition of Dutch Group Graverboom B.V. (including Luijckx B.V.)
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2003
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Acquisition of Brach’s Confections Holding Inc. in the U.S.
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2004
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Acquisition of the vending mix business of AM Foods in Sweden
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2004
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Opening of a sales office in Tokyo, Japan
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2005
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Opening of a chocolate factory in California, U.S.
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2007
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Opening of a chocolate factory in Russia
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2007
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Start of construction of a chocolate factory in Mexico
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2007
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Divestment of Brach’s sugar-candy business
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2007
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Major outsourcing contracts with Nestlé, Hershey’s and Cadbury
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2008
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Opening of a chocolate factory and Chocolate Academy in Suzhou, China
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| 2008 | Acquisition of chocolate and cocoa production equipment from Morinaga, near Osaka, Japan |
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2008
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Opening of a sales office and Chocolate Academy in Mumbai, India
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2008
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Acquisition of a 60%- stake in KLK Cocoa in Malaysia from Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad
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| 2008 | Acquisition of a 49% stake in Biolands, Africa’s largest exporter of certified organic cocoa based in Tanzania |
Today, Barry Callebaut is the world market leader in high-quality cocoa and chocolate products and the only fully integrated chocolate company with a global presence. The company has evolved from a supplier of industry and specialty chocolates for industrial and artisanal customers into a provider of integrated solutions, from the bean to the shelf, to the entire food industry. As the outsourcing partner of choice, Barry Callebaut has an estimated 50% share of sales volumes in the open market. Barry Callebaut offers close to 1,700 recipes to its customers, allowing it to cater to local taste preferences around the world.
