Each year Candy Industry compiles a list of the Top 100 candy companies in the world. Below, you’ll not only find out where candy company ranks, but also their estimated net sales, how many employees they have and which products they make. Have feedback? Editor-in-chief Bernard Pacyniak would love to hear from you! Just shoot him note at pacyniakb@bnpmedia.com.
While reading over this year’s Global Top 100 it may appear that sales of several companies have declined over the last year. Actually many of them had an increase in sales, but because their local currency lost value compared to the U.S. dollar, total revenues appear as if they decreased.
For instance, France’s Cemoi had 2014 sales of around €750 million and for 2015 they are estimating €800 million, yet the decreased exchange to the U.S. dollar drops its sales from $1,010 million in 2014 to $893 million in 2015.
Italian candy maker A. Loacker also saw an increase in sales in the local currency from €212 million in 2014 to €244 million projected for 2015. With the euro-to-dollar conversation rate dropping from 1.347 in 2014 to 1.116 in 2015, its sales appear to have slipped from $282 million to $271 million.
Moreover, the euro isn’t the only local currency that was devalued. Cloetta saw it with the Swedish krona. The Swedish company posted a 6.7% growth rate over 2014’s sales of 5,313 million SEK, projecting 5,672 million SEK to end 2015. But because the exchange rate dropped from .148 to .119, the company’s estimated projections in U.S. dollars is only $675 million and not the $840 million the higher rate would have suggested.
A spokesperson from Arcor of Argentina said the company’s projected sales for 2015 are about $500,000 million lower than 2014 due to devaluation of their currency in the exchange. The same is true with the Colombian peso. Grupo Nutresa’s chocolate sales, according to its website, had increased by 15 percent, but their local currency lost value of .00013 in the exchange making it appear as if its sales were down.
The exchange rates weren’t the only newsmakers. As with each year, several candy companies were gobbled up by larger ones. Over the summer, Italian-based Ferrero Group purchased UK’s Thorntons PLC for £112 million ($171 million). Columbia’s Colombina acquired Spain’s Fiesta, which operated a facility with 124 employees for $19.2 million
Downers Grove, Ill.-based Hearthside Food Solutions acquired Europe’s leading energy bar manufacturer VSI, which owned three production facilities, as well as Post Holdings’ Power Bar plant in Boise, Idaho. The company expects to continue rapid expansion in the bar category, noting that VSI will enable them to grow quickly in Europe.
Baronie N.V. now sells toffee as it has acquired UK’s Ashbury Chocolates Ltd. in February. The German-Belgium manufacturer has increased its sales to €565 million, although the lowered valuation places it at $631 million.
Mondelez International acquired Enjoy Life Foods, which boasts $40 million in sales. The Illinois-based company manufactures snack and chocolate bars free from common food allergens. The acquisition helps Mondelez to expand further into the cereal bar category.
U.S.-based Mars Inc. is in the process of buying out Grupo Turin, of Mexico City, the acquisition to be completed in the first quarter of 2016. The Mexican company had estimated annual sales of around $56 million and manufactures filled, moulded and panned chocolates.
Editor’s Note: As always, the Global Top 100 remains a “work in progress,” given that many companies refuse to share their financials or break them out to include only confectionery sales. If there are any oversights or incorrect estimates, please feel free to contact Candy Industry’s Editor-in-Chief Bernard Pacyniak at pacyniakb@bnpmedia.com
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