The acquired company is one of the top three in the Uruguayan dry pasta market and has a diversified portfolio
Leader in pasta and crackers and cookies in Brazil and one of the largest global food companies, M. Dias Branco announces its first international acquisition. The acquired company is Alimentos Las Acacias, focused on the pasta market, but with a portfolio that also includes sauces and cake mixes, among other goods. Las Acacias is among Uruguay’s top three brands in the pasta market.
Founded in 1952 in Montevideo by businessman Jesús Rega, the company is currently led by the second generation of the family. The broad portfolio of dry pasta is comprised of long and short cuts with eggs, durum wheat semolina, whole grains and instant noodles, produced in its own plant located in Montevideo, where the distribution center is also located.
Based in Ceará, in the Northeast of Brazil, M. Dias Branco was founded in 1953 and has around 20 brands of pasta, crackers and cookies, toasts, cakes and margarine. Some of them, such as Isabela (pasta, crackers and cookies, and toasts), Jasmine (healthy snacks), Piraquê (crackers and cookies) and Nikito (crackers and cookies) are already exported to Uruguay and more than 40 countries. It is a publicly-held company, with shares traded on the Brazilian stock exchange (B3/Novo Mercado).
According to Gustavo Lopes Theodozio, Vice President of Controlling, Investments and Investor Relations at M. Dias Branco, Alimentos Las Acacias was chosen for this first international acquisition due to the brand’s attributes and its excellent production and distribution infrastructure. “The acquisition is in line with our strategic plan, which provides for the diversification of revenue in another currency. We want to expand Las Acacias globally, as well as the presence of the brands we already distribute in Uruguay”, explained the executive.
With 17 industrial units installed in the Northeast, North, Southeast and South regions of Brazil, M. Dias Branco has as one of its differentials the vertical integration of the wheat chain. The company has high storage capacity and owns seven mills, which will be beneficial for the operation of Las Acacias, which will gain scale in the purchase of inputs. “The proximity to the South region of Brazil and the business environment in Uruguay were an important decision-making factor”, concluded Fábio Cefaly, Investor Relations and New Business Officer at M. Dias Branco.
