SWITZERLAND – The Haas Group, a leader in the field of wafers, cookies, and confectionary production systems, has officially joined the Bühler Group, with the acquisition closed at an undisclosed sum.
Haas, a family-owned company that was set up over 100 years ago in Vienna, Austria, has evolved into a leader in the field of production systems for making wafers, hard and soft cookies, ice cones, cakes, and bakery products.
With its global workforce of 1750 employees, Haas generates annual sales of about EUR 300 million and operates its own production sites in 6 countries.
By closing the transfer of the Haas Group to Bühler, the former owners want to ensure the long-term success of the company’s business.
“This means we are opening a new chapter in the Consumer Food market, and we feel confirmed by the broad approval that we have received from many customers and employees,” says Bühler CEO Stefan Scheiber
According to Buhler, this strategic acquisition enables it to complete its Consumer Foods product portfolio, as Haas now benefits from the resources of the global Bühler organization, in particular, it’s approximately 100 service stations and its innovation network.
For Bühler, this strategic acquisition is a milestone in the development of its Consumer Foods business.
The Bühler Group is the market leader in the field of food production systems along the entire value chain, for example from wheat grains to dough and up to finished wafers or cookies, or from cocoa beans to chocolate mass up to ready-to-consume chocolate products.
“Though we also offer food processing technologies and often have the same customers, our products and services do not overlap in any way – this means, we complement each other ideally,” says Bühler CEO Scheiber.
He continued that Haas and Bühler will mutually strengthen each other, with the Haas portfolio enabling Bühler to offer its customers new opportunities.
Additionally, the two organizations are identically positioned as high-quality solution providers with matching corporate cultures as family-owned companies that are based on trust and committed to sustainability.
“The powerful presence of Bühler in Asia is another factor that enables the two combined companies to seize new opportunities in this major growth market for wafer and cookie products,” says Germar Wacker, who is now in charge of the Haas business within the Bühler Group.
“Fully in line with the philosophy of both Bühler and Haas, we plan to take an approach that will be systematic and consistent, but at the same time also considerate, responsible, and with sustainability in mind,” says Wacker.
The focus is on the generation of customer value and the strengthening of the companies’ positions in their various markets.
“This approval additionally motivates us to seize the wide range of opportunities presented by this acquisition and to take advantage of the resulting added value,” says Wacker.
