It’s official now. BrewGroup NZ (formerly known as Bell Tea & Coffee Company) has been acquired by Jacobs Douwe Egberts AU Pty Ltd (JDE) for an undisclosed sum. Having obtained regulatory approval, the acquisition is set to be complete on 30 November. For the next two months, the two companies will continue to operate as separate units, with integration to begin in February 2017.
JDE Australia and New Zealand’s managing director, David Ansell, said they were glad to welcome BrewGroup into their family, calling it ‘a marriage made in heaven’. The company has announced it will put its enlarged portfolio of brands on the global stage, including Hummingbird, Bell, Jed’s, Ti Ora and Moccona, among others.
“For many years, we have been impressed by the strong Kiwi presence of the BrewGroup,” Ansell said. “Together with our local market knowledge, our global infrastructure and a history of sustained category growth, this acquisition is a marriage made in heaven as we seek to further improve consumer choice across the coffee and tea category.”
Feeling the same level of enthusiasm, BrewGroup NZ’s CEO, Mark Hamilton said his team was looking forward to accessing JDE’s global innovation capabilities. Hamilton will be leaving the business as CEO, remaining on the JDE NZ board as a non-executive director.
