Norwegian Kavli Group is to buy the fixed assets and some brands of Raisio’s non-dairy business. Raisio has produced oat, soy and rice-based non-dairy products at its factory in Turku since 2006. The non-dairy business has annual net sales of around €7 million. The sale of the business is part of Raisio’s move towards focusing on its core activities.
Raisio is a Finnish company whose brands include Benecol.
Through the deal, Kavli will acquire the Nordic Milkfreedom and Soygurt brands, as well as licenses to the brands of Carlshamn Mejeri, Sunnuntai and Nalle non-dairy products. In future, Kavli will produce, under a contract manufacturing agreement, Raisio’s Elovena snack drinks.
The business is to be transferred to the new owner during the second quarter of 2013. The Turku factory has 10 employees, who will continue under the same terms of employment when the business is taken over by Kavli. With the acquisition, Kavli Group believes it will strengthen its foothold in the Finnish and Swedish markets with a new product category.
Kavli Group is one of Norway’s largest food companies, employing some 800 staff. The Group’s turnover is around €330 million. Besides Norway, Kavli has companies in Sweden, Finland, Denmark and the UK. Kavli is owned by the Kavli Trust.
