Nestle Agrees to Buy Guatemala's Malher, Second Purchase in Two Weeks

Nestle SA, the world’s largest food company, agreed to buy a majority stake in Guatemalan food and powdered-beverage maker Malher, the second acquisition the KitKat maker has announced in two weeks.

Malher has 1,300 employees and two factories, which will add to Nestle’s 3,500 workers and six factories in central America, the Nescafe maker said on its website today. Nestle didn’t disclose a price or Malher’s annual sales.

Nestle, which is due to receive $28.1 billion from Novartis AG this year for its stake in eyecare company Alcon Inc., last week bought Vitaflo, a Liverpool, England-based maker of nutrition products for people with metabolic disorders. The Vevey, Switzerland-based company has said it aims to spend about 2 billion francs ($1.9 billion) to 3 billion francs a year on “bolt-on” acquisitions.

Miguel Angel Maldonado Arriola founded Malher in 1957, selling consommés. Malher now sells spices, canned beans, Yus powdered fruit drinks, and Fruty Dulce sweets.

To contact the reporter on this story: Tom Mulier in Geneva at tmulier@bloomberg.net.

• Tweet
• More
  • Business Exchange
  • Buzz up!
  • Digg
• Print
• Email