South Korean investor MBK is acquiring Brussels chocolatier Marcolini through a Japanese subsidiary. The company has confirmed the news in a press release. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.
British investment fund Neo that paid some 15 million euros for 47 per cent of Marcolini in 2013 is selling its stake in the Brussels-based company and will be replaced as the main shareholder by VM2 Holdings. That is a Japanese company founded in 2019 but owned by South Korea's MBK Partners.
VM2 Holdings has experience in the chocolate sector. The company manages the Belgian chocolate brand Godiva on the Japanese, South Korean and Australian markets and also owns the factory in Koekelberg (Brussels).
According to De Tijd, founder Pierre Marcolini and chairman and ex-CEO Olivier Coune will retain a small stake in the company. VM2 Holdings is buying out two of the four private investors: Laurent Levaux (Aviapartner) and François Schwennicke (ex-Delvaux). That gives the Koreans the majority of the shares.
Marcolini, founded in 1995, has 42 shops in Belgium, France, the UK, Monaco, Japan, China and Dubai.