Clarebout Potatoes, a frozen fries specialist based in West Flanders, has been acquired by the American food company Simplot.
Both companies announced the acquisition in a press release but did not disclose financial details. Clarebout, a family-owned business, had been seeking an American partner for some time, and it is now confirmed that Simplot will acquire the firm. The transaction awaits necessary approvals, but both parties aim to finalise it by the end of the year.
“We could have continued on our own, but the economic realities of the world and rational insight brought us together,” said Jan Clarebout, CEO of Clarebout Potatoes.
Simplot noted that the two companies complement each other well. “This acquisition not only strengthens our ability to serve the European market but also unites two family businesses with aligned core values and a shared commitment to customers, employees, and the environment,” stated Graham Dugdale, President of Simplot’s Global Food division.
The press release emphasised that European staff and facilities will be retained and expanded post-acquisition. Clarebout is headquartered in Nieuwkerke, West Flanders, near the Hainaut border, employing over 3,000 people at its two Belgian sites in Nieuwkerke and Warneton.
