VERNIER, Switzerland — As part of its 2025 strategy to expand the portfolio of its global Taste & Wellbeing business, Givaudan today announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire DDW, The Color House, a US based natural color company. The acquisition will enable Givaudan to become a global leader in natural colors, enhancing its ability to create “Feel Good” Food Experiences through its extensive portfolio of taste and sense solutions.
Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, DDW is a leading privately-held company in the natural color industry, with 12 manufacturing facilities around the world and 315 associates. Founded in 1865, the company has developed a strong market position from its origins in the brewing industry through its capabilities in caramel colors and for the last 20 years having a strong focus on natural colors for the food and beverage industry.
“I am excited about the opportunity to bring together the strong heritage and capabilities of DDW in natural colors with Givaudan’s expanded portfolio, which is fully in line with our 2025 strategy," said Louie D'Amico, president of Tate & Wellbeing at Givaudan. "The combination of both companies will enable us to become a global leader in natural colors and strengthen our ability to create with our customers multi-sensorial food experiences consumers love. We look forward to welcoming the DDW employees to the Givaudan family.”
The terms of the deal have not been disclosed and Givaudan plans to debt fund the transaction. DDW’s business would have represented approximately USD 140 million of incremental sales to Givaudan’s results in 2020 on a proforma basis. The transaction is expected to close in Q4 2021.
Givaudan is a global company in taste and wellbeing, and fragrance and beauty. With its heritage stretching back over 250 years, the company has a long history of innovating scents and tastes. From a favorite drink to your daily meal, from prestige perfumes to cosmetics and laundry care, its creations inspire emotions and delight millions of consumers the world over. The Company is committed to driving purpose-led, long-term growth while leading the way to improve happiness and health for people and nature. In the fiscal year 2020, the Company employed almost 16,000 people worldwide and achieved sales of CHF 6.3 billion and a free cash flow of 12.8% of sales.
Powered by innovation and creativity, Givaudan Taste & Wellbeing aims to shape the future of food by becoming the co-creation partner of choice to its customers. Built on its global leadership position in flavors and taste, the Company goes beyond to create food experiences that do good and feel good, for body, mind and planet. With an expanded portfolio of products across flavors, taste, functional and nutritional solutions and a deep knowledge of the food ecosystem, Givaudan’s passion is to collaborate with customers and partners to develop game-changing innovations in food and beverage. Let’s imagine together the future of food.
DDW is a privately owned company with its headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky. Founded in New York in 1865, DDW initially provided malt for brewing companies before developing caramel colors for the soft drink market and over the last 20 years adding a strong suite of capabilities in natural colors for the food industry, becoming one of the world’s leading color companies. DDW operates 12 natural color and caramel color facilities around the world, including the US, UK, Ireland, Brazil, Eswatini, Malaysia and China. DDW has 315 employees.
