Zetar Being Sold to Zertus
Zetar, the UK-based confectionery and natural snacks manufacturer, is being acquired for £42.7 million by Zertus Group, a leading group of specialty food companies headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. Floated on AIM in 2005, Zetar focuses on supplying private label and character licence products to UK retailers as well as export customers particularly in Australia and France. Over recent years the business has developed a portfolio of chocolate and snack products marketed under licensed brands including Baileys, Guinness and Marmite.
The confectionery division accounts for approximately two thirds of the Zetar Group’s total revenue, with natural snacks contributing the balance. For the financial year ended 30 April 2012, Zetar reported annual revenues of £128.3 million (2011: £135.0 million) and adjusted profit before tax of £5.5 million (2011: £6.7 million). As at 30 April 2012, net debt was £10.8 million (£14.9 million as at 30 April 2011) and net assets were £47.0 million (£46.3 million as at 30 April 2011).
Zertus is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ZRT, a family-owned company founded in 1826. Zertus’s subsidiaries concentrate on niche markets in the food sector, which provide it with various growth opportunities while Zertus itself supports those companies’ core businesses.
Zertus is a highly acquisitive business and in line with its strategy to expand its existing business units and to exploit new market segments it has recently acquired, among others, Kalfany (confectionery business) in 2002, Dextro Energy (a brand from Unilever) in 2005, Suße Werbung (a leading confectionery merchandising company) in 2007 and Echt Sylter Brisen-Klombjes (a confectionery business) in 2010. The acquisition of Zetar will enable Zertus to make a first step into the UK confectionery and natural snacks market.
