Livingstone advises Paulig Ltd. on the sale of its minority shares in Fuchs Group

Livingstone has advised Paulig Ltd. on the sale of its minority stake in Fuchs Group, which it has held for over 20 years. The shareholders of Fuchs will acquire a stake of approximately 26 percent from Paulig with economic effect as of January 1, 2023.

The international family-owned company Paulig Ltd. was founded in 1876 in Finland and is known for its high-quality products such as coffee, spices, herbal products, and snacks. Today, the company employs around 2,300 people in 13 countries and had a turnover of 1.1 billion euros in 2022. The divestment of the stake in Fuchs Group will allow Paulig to focus on its core growth areas, such as the Tex Mex and snacking categories.

The Fuchs Group was founded in 1952 by Dieter Fuchs and, with consolidated sales of more than 600 million euros in 2022, is Germany’s largest spice manufacturer. Today, with around 3,200 employees in nine countries, the company offers food retailers and the food industry an extensive range of spices, culinary trends, and innovative food technology. With the buyback, all shares in the Fuchs Group are now back in the ownership of the Fuchs shareholder family. The non-profit Dieter Fuchs Foundation is the largest shareholder of the Fuchs Group with 90 percent of the company shares.

Josef Diekmann, Chairman of the non-profit Dieter Fuchs Foundation, comments: “As a medium-sized, German company, the Fuchs Group, with its regional roots and its sustainable, global business, is excellently positioned to create lasting value in the future. We would like to particularly thank the Paulig Group for the very good cooperation in the past. We are very happy that it has been possible to reunite all shares in the hands of one shareholder base.”

“After more than two decades of harmonious cooperation, we wish Fuchs Group continued success on its path,” said Rolf Ladau, CEO of Paulig Ltd. “A big thank you goes to the Livingstone team, who gave us outstanding support at every stage of this transaction with a great deal of expertise and negotiating skill.”

Nils Meyer-Pries, CEO of the Fuchs Group, says: “The Paulig Group has been a reliable partner these past 23 years. We would like to say thank you for the long and trustful cooperation. At the same time, we are pleased that a clear commitment to the Fuchs Group has been made with the purchase by the Fuchs shareholder base. We will continue our successful course in Germany and internationally.”

Ralph Hagelgans, Partner, and Dr. Roland Schulz, Associate Partner, of Livingstone Germany add: “We are pleased that we were able to advise Paulig on the successful sale of the minority shares and that a win-win solution could be realized after the long investment partnership.”