Morato Group, Cea Italia and Jaus Bakery create the new European centre of excellence for bakery

Morato Group, Cea Italia and Jaus Bakery have created a new European bakery hub by combining expertise, production capabilities and market presence.

The entry of the historic Italian-German group represents a further step in a medium- to long-term growth and strengthening strategy, which now enables Morato Group to position itself as one of the leading players in the European sector, with direct coverage of key markets and an even broader and more integrated pool of industrial expertise.

The new strength

With the addition of Cea Italia and Jaus Bakery, Morato Group exceeds 500 million in consolidated turnover and can count on more than 1.800 employees, 19 plants, strategically located in Italy, Spain and France and now Germany, and 54 production lines, spread across more than 130.000 square metres of industrial space.

The Group, which produces more than 180.000 tonnes per year, is among the leading European producers in 5 categories, including sandwich bread, crustless bread, bruschetta bread, buns and, now, rustic and speciality breads as well, and also boasts deep expertise in the gluten-free sector, with 4 dedicated plants. This industrial scale has been achieved through constant investment aimed at increasing production capacity and plant efficiency.

The integration with Cea Italia and Jaus Bakery represents an opportunity to combine portfolios, markets and expertise, strengthening the Group’s ability to understand the needs of customers in different countries and translate them into products and solutions capable of supporting the category’s evolution towards new paradigms. A model that places product quality, customer service and innovation at its centre, supported by an R&S structure, organised into the two Mainstream and Healthy Food areas, with expertise dedicated to developing products capable of responding to the changing dietary needs of European consumers.

The comment

“The integration with Cea Italia and Jaus Bakery represents a decisive step in Morato Group’s growth journey, built over the years through industrial investment, innovation, digitalisation and growth through external expansion. Over the last 8 years, with the support of Aliante Partners, 15 strategic acquisitions have been completed, recording a Cagr of more than 30% over the same period. The significant investments made now enable us to open up new business opportunities and further improve industrial efficiency, with the ambitious goal of achieving turnover of more than 600 million euros over the course of the plan. It is a project born from a shared vision with all shareholders and stakeholders, with product culture, customer focus, market knowledge and the desire to continue investing and innovating for sustainable development as its common factors. The scale we are achieving through this transaction offers us new opportunities to grow and compete internationally, while maintaining the focus on people and products that has accompanied our history,” says Stefano Maza, president and CEO of Morato Group.

The production facilities

Cea Italia and Jaus Bakery bring to the Group an industrial history of more than 60 years, similar in entrepreneurial culture to that of Morato, together with two production sites in Germany – in Weißenhorn, Bavaria, and Dinklage, Lower Saxony – approximately 310 people and a wealth of know-how and relationships built up in the baked goods market.

Through the Daily Bread and Jaus brands, the Italian-German group enriches Morato Group’s portfolio with specialisations that complement those already covered, particularly baguettes and rustic breads, a segment in which it holds a leading position in Italy and Europe, and strengthens production capacity in the buns, sandwich bread and toast bread categories.

The markets

The synergy also extends to the markets. Jaus significantly strengthens the Group’s presence in the DACH region, leveraging its own industrial presence, distribution model and operational flexibility, while Morato Group provides its established presence in Southern and Western Europe, creating new development opportunities across all ranges. The integration therefore makes it possible to expand commercial coverage, optimise distribution networks and develop new relationships between markets, strengthening an internationalisation model based on production presence in local territories, proximity to customers and the sharing of expertise within the Group.

Sustainability

In this strategy, sustainability represents an industrial asset and a driver of investment decisions. The entry of Cea Italia and Jaus Bakery creates an opportunity to progressively share the experiences, expertise and projects developed by the companies, extending to a broader industrial scope the commitment to greater energy efficiency and reducing the environmental footprint. The desire to combine the creation of economic, social and environmental value is now further expressed through the transformation of the parent company Morato Pane Spa into a Benefit Corporation.

Continuity of governance

The integration also takes place under the banner of continuity of governance, with Stefano Maza continuing in the role of president and CEO of Morato Group, ensuring consistency in the Group’s leadership and strategic vision, and Marco Cersosimo continuing in the role of CFO of the Group.

“It is an ambitious project that we are approaching with enthusiasm and a strong sense of responsibility. We will continue to invest in quality, innovation, efficiency and sustainability, making the most of the expertise present across the Group’s different companies and maintaining a long-term vision aimed at creating value for all stakeholders,” concludes Maza.

This article was translated from the original Italian version with the assistance of artificial intelligence. In case of discrepancies, please refer to the original Italian version.