Press Releases
The RAR Group grew in 2010 and is branching out abroad
The year was notable for the acquisition of 51% of the Brazilian firms Provider and TotalPack and 100% of Britain’s Van Heyningen Brothers (VHB).
The RAR Group achieved a turnover of 917 million euros in 2010, which is 14% up on 2009. EBIDA was 52 million euros.
The year was marked by the entry of ColepCCL – Europe’s leading contract manufacturer of aerosol based goods for cosmetics, personal hygiene, household care and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals into the Brazilian market. Its first step was the CPA joint venture I September 2010 and this was followed by the acquisition in December of 51 percent of Provider and TotalPack.
The Brazilian operation was the Group’s first investment outside Europe, in fact, and gives ColepCCL a strong position in the Brazilian market. All this in a year when the company successfully closed two plants - Germany and the UK - and thus strengthened its competitiveness and leadership in Europe, where it has facilities in Portugal, Spain, Germany and Poland. ColepCCL posted a turnover of 478 million euros in 2010, 23% more than in 2009.
As far as Vitacress is concerned, this now accounts for all the interests in the fresh produce sector - in particular Wight Salads - after implementing a number of rationalisation measures. The company boosted its market position in the UK with the acquisition of Van Heyningen Brothers (VHB), one of the main operators in the fresh herbs sector. Although fairly new, this business area is a strong foundation for the Group’s development; in 2010 its sales were worth 178 million euros (£153 million).
In one of the most difficult years ever, RAR Açúcar saw a sharp rise of the raw material in the world market and an absence of any regulating mechanisms that would let it operate under normal competition conditions. The result was a sales volume of 76 million euros.
RAR Imobiliária has now completed work on the Edifício de Parque in Matosinhos and 40% of the spaces have been commercialised. Turnover rose in 2010 to stand at 16 million euros.
As for Imperial, it concluded the investment started in 2006 to establish a new plant. The company increased its investment abroad and closed the year with sales worth 20 million euros.
Acembex kept its leadership of the national market as an importer of cereals and their derivatives and contributed about 155 million euros to the Group’s total turnover.
GeoStar, meanwhile, did not contribute in accounting terms to the consolidated sales of the RAR Group, but it did complete its first financial year after bringing together Geotur and Star.