Margherita, an Italy-based pizza manufacturer, has expanded its product range by acquiring a majority stake in local peer ProPizza. The move allows Margherita to cover the entire product range in the premium frozen pizza segment, including pinsa and focaccia products. The financial details of the deal were not disclosed.
The current owners of ProPizza, the Della Rocca and Falcone families, will retain a “significant” minority stake in the company, which will continue to be managed by them. Margherita’s management team will work “in close cooperation” with ProPizza in the future.
Andrea Ghia, CEO of Margherita, expressed the company’s commitment to working closely with ProPizza, stating, “We will work closely together in the areas of sales, innovation, and operations and thus jointly utilize further attractive growth potential.” Ghia also added that this acquisition “completes our range of premium pizza products” and enables them to continue growing in the market.
The acquisition of ProPizza is in line with Margherita’s strategy to strengthen its position in the food and beverage industry. The company, which was founded in 2001, is part of Switzerland’s Idak Food Group and focuses on the pizza and pizza snacks segment in its portfolio. Margherita, along with Prodal and Margherita in Schweiz, employs over 400 people and generates sales of around €85m ($91.5m).
ProPizza, on the other hand, was founded in 2003 and specializes in manufacturing dough products such as pinsa, focaccia, and pizza bases, with sales of around €9m in 2023. Commenting on the acquisition, Christof Lehmann, CEO of Idak, stated that the purchased business “fits perfectly” into the company’s portfolio.
The acquisition of ProPizza aligns with Idak’s goal to build a strongly networked growth platform of specialized companies and manufacturers in the premium frozen food sector in Europe. Additionally, the investor group Invision and Nord Holding, which own Idak, also have businesses in the snacking area, employing around 1,000 people and generating sales of around SFr250m ($286m).
With this acquisition, Margherita is poised to capitalize on food and drink consumer trends while reinforcing its presence in the food and beverage industry. The company’s focus on innovation and strategic acquisitions reflects the evolving food and beverage industry trends.
