Spanish personal and home care product maker Persán has acquired Mibelle Group, the parent company of ingredient maker Mibelle Biochemistry, from Swiss retailer Migros.
Mibelle Group specialises in personal care and beauty, home care and nutrition products, as well as owning Mibelle Biochemistry, which develops active ingredients for the cosmetics and nutraceutical industries.
Seville-based Persán is taking over all employees and facilities of the Mibelle Group in Switzerland, France, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, USA and Australia.
The acquisition also includes all legal entities that form the Mibelle Group, all supplier and customer contracts, as well as all employee contracts.
“We are continuing all our existing activities to provide our customers with the best products and services,” said a Mibelle Biochemistry spokeswoman.
“The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of April,” she added.
Not included in the sale is the South Korean subsidiary of the Mibelle Group, Gowoonsesang Cosmetics, which has been acquired by L’Oréal - as reported in December.
With the acquisition of Mibelle Group, family-owned Persán will become one of the world's largest private label and contract manufacturing companies with more than 3,000 employees and a turnover in excess of €1 billion ($1.1 billion).
The companies have agreed not to disclose the terms of the sale, including the price.
Migros said the decision to sell the Mibelle Group is a result of its commitment to focus on its core business with supermarkets, with an emphasis on local business in Switzerland.
Migros continues to pursue a strong own-brand strategy. The popular Migros own brands such as ‘Handy’, ‘I am’ and ‘Zoé’, which are produced by the Mibelle Group, will continue to be available at Migros.
Long-term supply agreements have been concluded between Migros and the Mibelle Group for the home care, personal care and nutrition segments, ensuring that the Mibelle Group will remain an important strategic supplier to Migros in the future.
In recent years, Persán has embarked on a course of international expansion and has also started to build its presence in the personal care sector.
The acquisition of the Mibelle Group therefore fits perfectly in Persán’s future growth strategy, said the Mibelle Biochemistry spokeswoman.
The two companies complement each other very well in terms of expertise, technology, markets and production sites, she added.
Persán's CEO Antonio Somé said: “The acquisition of the Mibelle Group will allow us to access new technologically advanced categories and continue to develop innovative and high-quality products for all our customers.
“The Mibelle Group shares Persán's values and strategic vision, so we have no doubt that this acquisition will be beneficial for all parties. In this new phase, we will maintain the hallmarks that have brought us this far: a commitment to people, innovation, technology and sustainability.”
Mibelle Group CEO Peter Müller added: “We are convinced that as part of Persán we will be able to further strengthen our existing customer relationships.
“Our customers will benefit from additional competences and capacity. This will enable us to offer them even more innovative solutions and an even more comprehensive product range.”
