Puratos set to expand across Australia after acquiring fillings supplier
Puratos said increasing local production was a priority for subsidiary Puratos Australia-New Zealand as it sought to meet growing customer demand for premium Australian-made products.
“Puratos has invested strongly in this market for several years now,” said Peter Deriemaeker, Puratos markets director for Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa.
“We aim to constantly improve our offer according to the evolving needs and expectations of customers and consumers,” he said, adding the acquisition would help Puratos meet the specific needs of baked goods businesses including artisan, industrial, supermarket and food service operations.
Large-capacity production facility
According to Puratos, the deal would enable it to expand to all states in Australia through Melbourne Jam Manufacturing’s existing national distribution network, and utilize its large-capacity production facility in Melbourne.
Complementary R&D teams and local production would strengthen Puratos’ capability to customize products for specific applications and processing requirements, it added, and offer a wider selection of products.
“This acquisition highlights Puratos’ ambition to expand and further develop our range of locally made products in various regions across the world,” said Deriemaeker. “It gives us the means to accelerate our long term plans and strengthen our position in the sector.”
Network of distributors
Melbourne Jam Manufacturing managing director Carey Baker-Mackie described his company’s products as complementary to Puratos’ and said they would continue to be available through the business’s established network of distributors in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands.
The acquisition comes two months after Belgium-based Puratos Group took over US business Pennant Ingredients, a supplier of speciality bakery products and solutions to quick-serve restaurants, foodservice and retail in-store bakeries in North America.
Last year, Puratos also acquired Bakery Future Lines, an Italian family-owned company based in La Spezia, Liguria, that produces bakery ingredients and specializes in innovating natural yeast and sourdough products.
