Spain’s Grupo Alimentario Citrus (GAC) has acquired German prepared salads company Thurländer Salate und Feinkost as part of its strategic expansion into new markets and distribution channels.
“Germany is a market with tremendous potential for growth in the healthy food sector,” said GAC’s general manager Rafael Boix. “This deal is a major milestone for us, boosting our competitiveness and reinforcing our ability to continue growing in a sustainable way.”
Based in the town of Thurland in Germany’s Saxony-Anhalt region, Thurländer has a turnover of €45m and employs 300 people. It produces a range of more than 50 salads and is a leading supplier to retailers in Germany, Denmark and Austria.
Germany has been a key target for GAC since the company launched its internationalisation strategy in 2015, and Thurländer's integration into the group will significantly boost its level of innovation and operational efficiency.
Following its purchase of Thurländer, GAC will have a global workforce of 2,500 employees, operate seven production plants and own more than 5,000ha of its production.
With an annual turnover expected to reach €300m this year, GAC is a vertically integrated company producing a wide range of ready-to-eat products including bagged salads, prepared vegetables and fresh microwavable meals, as well as fruit and vegetable purees and pouches.
GAC’s overall customer base spans 20 countries while its ready-to-eat salads are sold in Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria and Denmark.
