Orkla Food Ingredients has signed and completed an agreement to purchase 100% of the shares in the sales and distribution company Gortrush Trading Ltd. The deal, terms of which were not disclosed, is being handled through Orkla’s wholly-owned NIC Enterprises Limited subsidiary.
Omagh, Northern Ireland-based Gortrush is a supplier of ice cream ingredients and accessories to wholesalers, ice cream retail outlets and distributors in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The Oslo, Norway-headquartered buyer has built up a solid position in the UK ice cream ingredients and accessories sector through NIC UK, which is a part of the Orkla Food Ingredients business division.
“We already hold a strong position in ice cream ingredients and accessories in the UK market. This acquisition is strategically right for increasing our foothold in Northern Ireland and gaining better access to the Irish market,” said NIC Group CEO Tor Osmundsen. “Gortrush’s product assortment is a good match for us, and the businesses complement each other well.”
Founded 50 years ago, Gortrush is headed by Kieran Howe. It employs 13 people and generated sales of GBP 4.5 million (approximately NOK 54 million) in the 12-month period ending on September 30, 2020.
Orkla Food Ingredients is the leading player in the bakery and ice cream ingredients sector in the Nordic region, in addition to holding solid market positions in selected countries in Europe. Its biggest product categories are bakery and ice cream ingredients, margarine and butter blends, marzipan and plant-based food products. The company has sales and distribution companies in 22 countries, ensuring proximity to customers.
