Coffee’s 2019 mergers and acquisitions watch is officially underway with breaking transatlantic news as Groupe SEB has acquired the Wilbur Curtis Company. The news came down via a press release published earlier today, January 8th.
While itself not necessarily a household name in the US, the French-based Groupe SEB counts company like Krups and Tefal amongst their conglomerate of brands. And now they have added “the second largest American manufacturer of professional coffee goods” to the list.
In the press release, Thierry de La Tour d’Artaise, Chairman and CEO of Groupe SEB, had this to say:
Following the acquisition of WMF in 2016, Groupe SEB confirms its determination to pursue expansion in the professional coffee industry, which offers great development opportunities worldwide. As a specialist in filter coffee machines in the United States, Wilbur Curtis represents for the Group -that is already present on this market with Schaerer and WMF full-automatic espresso machines- a very valuable strategic complement to its product offering and customer portfolio. As a result, Groupe SEB becomes one of the leaders in the professional coffee business in the United States.
The acquisition is expected to be finalized some time later next month after passing the “customary regulatory clearances.” The total amount of the sale has yet to be disclosed as well as any potential plans for the Montebello, California-based Curtis production facility—and its 300 employees—profiled here on Sprudge.
We’ve reached out to the Wilbur Curtis Company for comment and will provide any updates in this article. For more information, read the official statement from Groupe SEB here.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.
Zac Cadwalader is the managing editor at Sprudge Media Network and a staff writer based in Dallas. Read more Zac Cadwalader on Sprudge.
Disclosure: Wilbur Curtis Co is an advertising partner with the Sprudge Media Network.
