Mature companies attract capital

Ecuadornews:

In 2014 it was Arca Continental that made 87% of the Tonicorp shares; In 2017, however, Multi Inversiones de Guatemala took 50% of Pronaca and this week the Mexican company Femsa acquired the GPF Corporation (Farcomed), owner of Fybeca, SanaSana, Okidoki (minimarket) and two other companies in the pharmaceutical sector.

Appetite is also found in large national companies (which already operate in Ecuador with local brands). In July, La Fabril closed the acquisition of Otelo & Fabell and in August the national company Ucem (Unión Cementera Nacional), controlled by the Peruvian group Gloria, acquires Hormigonera Hércules.

The value of sales (year 2017) of the five companies acquired in that period is just over 1.2 billion dollars, according to the records of the Superintendency of Companies.

There is no account of the investment made by a member of the Wright family (owner of La Favorita Supermarkets), through the Inversiones Cóndor Trust in the company Productos SKSFarm, nothing more and nothing less than the prestigious Pacari chocolates.

These acquisitions show that what corporations are looking for are companies with recognized brands or with a business already built.

The president of La Fabril, Carlos González Artigas, has told Diario EXPRESO that he wants to strengthen and export the wet cloth brands of Otelo & Fabell, whose products have prestige and complement the package of his corporation, which leads some categories of mass consumption.

And nothing to say about Pronaca, whose portfolio goes beyond Mr. Pollo and Plumrose, which is also the leader of the segment, and that has other agro-industrial businesses that generate huge resources.

Farcomed, on the other hand, has laid the foundations in Fybeca and SanaSana, two of the most important pharmacy chains in Ecuador. Although some analysts believe in a repowering of Okidoki.

Toni is also Mexican

Mexican company Arca Continental, which also owns Coca-Cola, bought the majority shareholding of the Tonicorp Holding, which is very important in the production of mass consumption products. Although the Tonicorp Holding is formed by Industrias Lácteas Toni, Ice Cream, Ecuadorian Plastics, Dipor, Cosedone and Fabacorpsa, of the Alarcón family (Francisco Alarcón, former president of the Chamber of Industries).

Pronaca: giant in food

Pronaca, owner of the products most consumed by Ecuadorians (including Mr. Pollo, Mr. Chancho, Gustadina, La Danish, Fritz) is one of the most important companies, the fourth in the national sales ranking, with $ 934 million dollars and with an enviable profitability. In 2017, it obtained profits of 42.5 million, equivalent to almost 10% of its assets. 50% went to Guatemala.

GPF awaits authorization

Farcomed or GPF is ranked 49th in terms of revenues, according to the Superintendence of Companies. Its manager, Luis Enrique Coloma, said that the GPF Corporation (88 years old) has requested legal authorizations in Ecuador to join Sofocar, the company through which Femsa bought it. Sofocar is part of its health division, and manages Cruz Verde in Chile and Colombia.

La Fabril enters a new segment

Otelo & Fabell has a portfolio that complements that of La Fabril, the corporation that bought the oil business from Unilever more than a decade ago. Now incorporates to Pañalín, Intimate sanitary napkins, Proactive toilet soaps, Family shampoos, Fisher Price, Angelino, Sweet’n Low sugar, hair dyes and other brands.

Ucem takes over Hercules

Grupo Gloria, owner of Unión Cementera Nacional (Ucem), bought Hormigonera Hércules S.A. at the end of August. (Hohesa), which has a 10% share, the second most important concrete company in the country. With this acquisition, Ucem expands its distribution channels in Guayaquil with a view to improving its reach and participation. (I)

Source: https://www.expreso.ec/economia/empresas-crecimiento-inversion-capital-economia-JI2390579