Orkla has agreed to buy Dutch confectionery manufacturer The European Candy Group.
It has bought the business from the funds managed by Bencis Capital Partners and management shareholders.
The Norway-based consumer group said its Orkla Snacks unit will acquire 100% of the shares in the business, also known as Continental Candy Industries (CCI), at an enterprise value of €207m ($238.1m) on a cash- and debt-free basis.
In its statement today, Orkla said the deal will give it production capacity to help "continued“ growth of its Bubs confectionary brand in its Nordic markets. It also said the transaction would "allow for faster expansion into new European markets”.
The group plans to "maintain" The European Candy Group’s "existing profitable business, while gradually increasing production of Bubs to serve export markets with high demand".
Ingvill Berg, the CEO of Orkla Snacks, said: “CCI is a natural strategic fit for Orkla Snacks. The company brings unique expertise in the sugar confectionery market and a broad customer network spanning several European countries.
“The proposed acquisition will strengthen Orkla Snacks’ position in Europe and enable Bubs to expand its offering into new markets.”
The European Candy Group has supplied selected Bubs confectionery products since 2025.
Based in Drachten in the Netherlands, the company produces private-label confectionery, sweets, liquorice and sugar-free products for food, non-food and online retailers across Europe.
Its product range includes low- and no-sugar, vegan and halal confectionery, alongside speciality and traditional sweets such as jelly beans, liquorice, and hard-boiled sweets.
The business operates four production sites, three in the Netherlands – Drachten, Hoorn and Oosterwolde – and one in Metelen, Germany.
The company has just over 300 employees and is active in the Netherlands, Germany, Scandinavia and the UK.
In 2026, CCI is expected to generate revenue of about €110m and adjusted EBITDA of about €21m. In 2025, it reported revenue of about €94m.
The transaction is subject to customary regulatory approvals and consultation with the Dutch works council.
Closing of the deal is expected toward the end of the third quarter or early in the fourth quarter of 2026, Orkla said.
The acquisition is the latest in a series of deals by Orkla this year.
In June, the group agreed to buy Danish baker TC Brød, a producer of laminated dough and seasonal bake-off products, in a move to bolster its bakery activities in Denmark.
Earlier that month, Orkla struck a deal to acquire a 40% stake in Netherlands-based Asian sauces maker Go-Tan from its founding family.
Those transactions followed Orkla’s purchase in May of UK biscuits supplier Phoenix Brands.
