On Thursday, D.E Master Blenders said it would be buying additional interest in Kaffehuset Friele, a Norwegian coffee company. The Dutch company, which owned Douwe Egberts coffee, would be increasing its ownership stake from 45% to 90%. Financial details of the transaction were not revealed to the public.
D.E Master Blenders is owned by the investor group headed by German investor Joh A Benckiser. Benckiser acquired the Dutch company for USD9.8 billion this year. It is known for trading tea, coffee and other grocery items.
Kaffehuset Friele is based in Bergen, Norway. A well-known brand, the company is known as the largest coffee producer in the region. Last year, Friele reported NOK942 million or USD158 million. This was a significant increase from NOK794 million from the year before. Friele also reported NOK96 million in operating earnings last year, up from NOK48 million the year before.
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