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Colombians Strengthening Market
Share in Costa Rican Food
Industry
Driving by La Uruca near the
immigration offices the air is
sometimes filled with the sweet
and delicious smell of La
Pozuelo cookies. That won't
change, but ownership of the
company passed from the Spanish
company Ebrol Puleva S.A.to the
Colombian Grupo Nacional de
Chocolates S.A., for some us
$119 million dollars.
Grupo Nacional two years ago
acquired the Nestlé plant which
also owns the Galletas Noel.
With the acquisition of Pozuelo,
the Colombians now a firm
foothold in the Costa Rican food
industry, that in addition to
cookies and chocolates, also are
into meat packing, coffee, ice
cream and pasta.
Mario Giraldo, president of
Galletas Noel S.A, said that the
firm is guaranteeing its future
in Mexico, Central America and
the United States in the face of
the Tratado de Libre Comercio
(TLC) - free trade agreement
with the United States - and the
possibility to open new markets.
According to Giraldo, the 'Pozuelo'
and 'Chiky' brand names will
continue and there will be no
change in the management of
Pozuelo and its 1.200 employees.
The executive added that
additional investments will be
made to better production and
market share.
The fusion of the Pozuelo with
Grupo Nacional will soon mean
that the Colombians will have a
32% share of the Central
American market.
In other buy-out news, the
Florida Ice and Farm Company (Fifco)
which is better known as the
Cervecería Costa Rica, home of
the "Imperial", bought out
Mercantil de Alimentos Kern’s de
Guatemala for us$86 million
dollars. Kern's is a leader in
fruit nectar juices, it also
owns the brand name Ducal which
produces refried bean, salsa and
tomatoe paste.
Kern's has production plants in
Guatemala and El Salvador.
Carlos Echaverría of Fifco
explained that there is no
foreseen changes in the
management or personnel at
Kern's and the brand name will
continue given its recognition
in the region.
Fifco, in addition to producing
and marketing beer in Costa
Rica, also produces and
distributes a line of "natural"
drinks and bottled water.
Both the Kern's and Pozuelo
acquisition should be completed
within the next several months
as the legal points of the deal
have to worked out.
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