Gilde and AAC, together with management, acquired Drie Mollen, in November 2002 in a management buyout. Since the buyout, the company has pursued a focused growth strategy that has transformed Drie Mollen into a Europe-wide player uniquely positioned between large branded international and small local coffee roasters.
Drie Mollen, founded in 1818, has developed a strong position in more than 15 export markets and consists of a network of specialised coffee companies and large-scale roasting facilities. The company’s turnover was about €300m in 2007 and it generated annual production of over 50,000 tonnes.
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“We intend to leverage Drie Mollen’s multi-channel, pan-European platform to capitalise on opportunities in existing and new markets. We believe there is strong potential to accelerate growth through investment in innovation and the pursuit of value-enhancing acquisitions.”
Boudewijn Molenaar, managing director of Gilde, said: “This has been a very successful investment for us. We are pleased to have supported the company to implement their buy-and-build strategy and help them focus on making the company more efficient.
“Simultaneously with our investment, the company acquired Swiss local coffee roaster Giger in 2002, targeting the out-of-home segment of the market, and has since continued on the acquisition path by acquiring Swiss coffee company Merkur in 2004 and UK-based First Choice Coffee in 2006. These companies have been successfully integrated within Drie Mollen and have enabled Drie Mollen to expand its activities in the high-growth out-of-home segment.”
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