Unilever buys Russian ketchup maker

CONSUMER products group Unilever has snapped up the leading ketchup business in Russia.

Unilever has struck an agreement to acquire the sauces business of Baltimor Holdings in a debt-free cash deal. The value of the deal was undisclosed.

The multi-national said the acquisition would strengthen its dressings portfolio and bolster its competitive position in Russia.
 
The deal includes includes the ketchup, mayonnaise and tomato paste businesses under the Baltimor, Pomo d’Oro and Vostochniy Gourmand brands – which account for annual sales of around £60m.

Unilever’s first factory was at Port Sunlight on the Wirral and it still employs 700 scientists and engineers at a research and development facility at the site. It also employs hundreds of staff at factories in Warrington and Manchester.

Its portfolio includes brands such as Knorr, Hellmann’s, Lipton, Dove and Marmite. The group has around 179,000 staff in some 100 countries. Last year sales topped £34bn.