RAPS GmbH & Co. KG has acquired a majority stake in Biova GmbH. The move sees the well-established supplier of spices and food ingredients focus on growth through strategic acquisition, including the specific expansion of its range and expertise in organic spices. Biova, based in Wildberg near Stuttgart, will continue to operate as an independent subsidiary.
With high-quality and exotic natural salts, peppers, sugars, spices and chilies, the Biova brand has become well established since the company was founded in 2003, and has steadily expanded its portfolio of organic products ever since. Customers include leading suppliers of branded spices, as well as trendy newcomer brands, and Biova's own brand is also available direct to consumers.
RAPS acquisition of the majority share opens up new markets and sales channels for Biova, especially in other European countries. RAPS, on the other hand, will benefit from the ingredient specialist's comprehensive know-how, and will be able to expand its organic portfolio with a variety of new and unusual spices, salts and creative blends. Biova GmbH, with around 20 employees, is set for further expansion and will remain under the management of founder Raphael Deckert, at the Wildberg site.
He comments: "Passing the company, which we have built up with great commitment over many years, into new hands is a huge step. Yet with RAPS, we now have a strong partner at our side who will enable our team to grow, enter completely new markets and provide financial back-up to allow us to do so. With this established company, we have found exactly what we were looking for: Experience, comprehensive support for further successful growth and plenty of freedom for development."
Florian Knell, CEO of the RAPS Group, is also extremely happy with the arrangement: "We are very pleased to have been able to add Biova GmbH to the RAPS family. With the acquisition, we want to grow further, expand the range of high-quality organic products and thus meet increasing demand. Biova is a good fit for us, because as a medium-sized, family-owned company, values such as sustainability, trust and quality are what matter most to us."
