Princes Group

Last updated

Princes Limited
Company type Subsidiary
IndustryFood & Drink
Founded1880;144 years ago (1880), in Liverpool, England
Founders
  • William M. Simpson
  • Frank Roberts
Headquarters
Liverpool
,
England
Number of locations
11 production sites World Wide
Area served
World Wide
Key people
Simon Harrison [1]
ProductsFish, meat, fruit, vegetables, soups, pastes, pasta, cooking sauces, edible oils and soft drinks
Revenue£1.7bn billion (March 2024)
Number of employees
7,000+
Parent Newlat Food S.p.A
Website https://www.princesgroup.com/

Princes Group is an international food and drink group involved in the manufacture, import and distribution of branded and customer own-brand products. Founded in 1880 and headquartered in the UK, and recently acquired by Newlat Food S.p.A.

Contents

History

Princes’ heritage dates back to 1880, [2] when it was established as a fish importing business in Liverpool, the city where its international headquarters are still located today. The firm was founded as a partnership by Briton William Muirhead Simpson (1842–1926) and Canadian Frank Roberts (1853–1938) and initially imported tinned lobster from Canada. It operated as Simpson Roberts, then created brands including Maypole (1891), Mikado (1895) and Princes (1900). By 1915, Simpson Roberts was the world's largest exporter of lobster, handling one third of the world's lobster trade. In 1919, the partnership was incorporated as a limited company. In 1962, it changed its name to Princes Foods. [3]

Princes first entered continental Europe in 1960 [2] and today its European operations are managed from its offices in Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

In 1964, Princes was acquired by 'Trex' manufacturer J Bibby & Sons. In 1973, the combined business was sold to Italy's Buitoni group, which, in 1988 was acquired by Nestlé, with Princes then sold to Mitsubishi Corporation in 1989. [3]

As a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi, [2] Princes completed several high-profile mergers and acquisitions that added significant scale to the business. After the 2011 acquisition of Premier Foods' canning operations for £182M, Princes was, by 2013, the UK's largest supplier of tinned food; by 2020, it employed 7,000 people globally, 2,200 of them in UK. [3] However, in January 2023, Mitsubishi was reported to be considering selling the Princes Group, [4] [5] and in March 2023 potential buyers, including Bain Capital-backed Valeo Foods and the Aurelius Group investment firm, were reported to be considering bids of around £400M. [6]

From July 24, Princes Group became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Newlat Foods, retaining its legal name ‘Princes Ltd’.

Timeline

Operations

Princes' customers include major supermarkets, convenience stores, foodservice operators, wholesale suppliers and other food manufacturers. Its brands and products span over 20 different categories including fish, meat, fruit, vegetables, soups, pastes, pasta, cooking sauces, edible oils and a broad range of soft drinks sectors. [16]

Owned and operated brands

Brands (*= licensed brands) which Princes manufacture and produce include: [17]

Production sites

Princes operates 11 production sites situated in the UK, mainland Europe and Mauritius:

UK food sites

  • Long Sutton, Lincolnshire – this site produces a range of canned products including baked beans, vegetables, fruit, pulses, pies, pasta, meatballs and ready meals
  • Wisbech – located in Cambridgeshire, this site produces canned and pouch products including baked beans, soups, pulses, pasta, vegetables and sauces

UK soft drinks sites

  • Cardiff – produces juice products in cartons
  • Bradford – this site produces squash and carbonated soft drinks
  • Glasgow – supplies canned soft drinks

UK edible oils

  • Belvedere, London – located in south east London, this site produces olive and speciality oils
  • Erith – located in south east London, this site produces cooking oil

International

  • Foggia, Italy – this factory is one of the most modern and efficient ambient tomato processing facilities in Europe [18]
  • Riche Terre, Port Louis, Mauritius – one of the most technologically advanced tuna processing facilities in the world [19]
  • Marine Road, Port Louis, Mauritius - a major processing facility producing tuna loins [20]
  • Szamotuły, Poland – located in the north west region of Wielkopolska, this site primarily produces rapeseed oil.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heinz</span> American food processing company known for its ketchup and condiments

The Kraft Heinz Foods Company, formerly the H. J. Heinz Company and commonly known as Heinz, is an American food processing company headquartered at One PPG Place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The company was founded by Henry J. Heinz in 1869. Heinz manufactures food products in plants on six continents, and markets these products in more than 200 countries and territories. The company claims to have 150 number-one or number-two brands worldwide. Heinz ranked first in ketchup in the US with a market share in excess of 50%; the Ore-Ida label held 46% of the frozen potato sector in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baked beans</span> Cooked beans in sauce

Baked beans are a dish traditionally containing white common beans that are parboiled and then baked in sauce at low temperature for a lengthy period. Canned baked beans are not baked, but are cooked through a steam process.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ravioli</span> Type of filled pasta

Ravioli are a type of stuffed pasta comprising a filling enveloped in thin pasta dough. Usually served in broth or with a sauce, they originated as a traditional food in Italian cuisine. Ravioli are commonly square, though other forms are also used, including circular and semi-circular (mezzelune).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shortening</span> Food ingredient

Shortening is any fat that is a solid at room temperature and is used to make crumbly pastry and other food products.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Casserole</span> Variety of cooking pot and general category of foods cooked inside it

A casserole is a kind of large, deep pan or bowl used for cooking a variety of dishes in the oven; it is also a category of foods cooked in such a vessel. To distinguish the two uses, the pan can be called a "casserole dish" or "casserole pan", whereas the food is simply "a casserole". The same pan is often used both for cooking and for serving.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orkla ASA</span> Norwegian consumer good conglomerate

Orkla ASA is a Norwegian conglomerate operating in Europe, Asia and the US. At present, Orkla operates in the branded consumer goods, aluminium solutions and financial investment sectors. Orkla ASA is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange and its head office is in Oslo, Norway. As of 31 December 2021, Orkla had 21,423 employees. The Group's turnover in 2021 totalled NOK 50.4 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Van Camp's</span> American brand of canned beans

Van Camp's is an American brand of canned bean products currently owned by ConAgra Foods, Inc. Their products typically consist of beans stewed in a flavored sauce. Van Camp's has for some time been the second-best selling brand of baked beans in the United States, competing with Bush's Baked Beans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bush Brothers and Company</span> American food processing corporation

Bush Brothers and Company is a family-owned corporation best known for its Bush's Best brand canned baked beans. The company produces approximately 80 percent of the canned baked beans consumed in the United States, representing estimated annual sales in excess of $400 million and the processing of more than 55 million pounds of beans per year. In addition, the company also offers other canned beans, as well as peas, hominy, and cut green beans. Based in Knoxville, Tennessee, Bush Brothers operates plants in Augusta, Wisconsin, and Chestnut Hill, Tennessee. Its canned goods are sold through retail food outlets and food service operators throughout the United States and Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Types of chocolate</span> Classification of different chocolate types

Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cocoa beans mixed with fat and powdered sugar to produce a solid confectionery. There are several types of chocolate, classified primarily according to the proportion of cocoa and fat content used in a particular formulation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baxters</span> Scottish food manufacturer

Baxters Food Group Limited, also known as Baxters of Speyside or Baxters, is a food processing company, based in Fochabers, Scotland. It produces foods such as canned soups, canned meat products, sour pickles, sauces, vinegars, antipasto, chutneys, fruit preserves and salad and meat condiments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bertolli</span> Brand of Italian food products

Bertolli is a brand of Italian food products produced by multiple companies around the world with the trademark owned by Mizkan Holdings. Originating as a brand of extra-virgin olive oil, in which it was the global market leader, pasta sauces and ready meals are now sold under the brand name as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Campbell Soup Company</span> American food manufacturer

The Campbell Soup Company, doing business as Campbell's, is an American company, most closely associated with its flagship canned soup products; however through mergers and acquisitions, it has grown to become one of the largest processed food companies in the United States with a wide variety of products under its flagship Campbell's brand as well as other brands including Pepperidge Farm, Snyder's of Hanover, V8, and Swanson. With its namesake brand Campbell's produces soups and other canned foods, baked goods, beverages, and snacks. It is headquartered in Camden, New Jersey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ayam Brand</span> Singaporean multinational food company

Ayam Brand is a multinational food company, specialising in prepared foods, including seafood, canned fish and canned vegetables, especially baked beans. Ayam's product offerings vary by country. The sole owner of Ayam Brand is a company called Ayam S.A.R.L.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buitoni</span> Italian food company

Buitoni is an Italian food company based in Sansepolcro. It was founded in 1827. They are known for their factory-produced products of pasta and sauces.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canned fish</span> Processed fish preserved in an airtight container

Canned or tinned fish are food fish which have been processed, sealed in an airtight container such as a sealed tin can, and subjected to heat. Canning is a method of preserving food, and provides a typical shelf life ranging from one to five years. They are usually opened via a can opener, but sometimes have a pull-tab so that they can be opened by hand. In the past it was common for many cans to have a key that would be turned to peel the lid of the tin off; most predominately sardines, among others.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International Home Foods</span> American branded foods company

International Home Foods (IHF) was an American manufacturer, distributor and marketer of food products, based in Parsippany, New Jersey. It was acquired in 2000 by ConAgra Foods and merged into ConAgra's Grocery Products division. IHF's best known brands were Chef Boyardee pasta products, Bumble Bee Seafood, PAM cooking spray, and Gulden's mustard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B&G Foods</span> American branded foods holding company

B&G Foods, Inc. is an American branded foods holding company based in Parsippany, New Jersey. The company was formed in 1996 to acquire Bloch & Guggenheimer, a Manhattan-based producer of pickles, relish and condiments which had been founded in 1889.

References

  1. ↑ "Simon Harrison appointed as Princes Group CEO". Princesgroup.com. 9 April 2024. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 "Princes : About the Company : Our History". Princesgroup.com. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 "Building Scale: a history of Princes Foods". Let's Look Again: a History of Branded Britain. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  4. ↑ Mattinson, Alec (12 January 2023). "Princes owner in search of buyer as sales fall sharply". The Grocer. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  5. ↑ Robinson, Jon (20 January 2023). "'No decisions made' on potential sale of food giant Princes after 'market speculation'". BusinessLive. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  6. ↑ Hodgson, Neil (17 March 2023). "Takeover speculation continues with Princes Foods in sights of suitors". The Business Desk. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  7. ↑ Martin, Kathy (2017). Famous Brand Names and Their Origins. Pen & Sword. p. 61. ISBN   9781781590157.
  8. ↑ "Insider News North West – Princes targets £2bn after record year". Insidermedia.com. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  9. ↑ Hodgson, Neil (3 May 2012). "Princes Group in Italian production deal - Business News - LDP Business". Liverpool Daily Post. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  10. ↑ "Princes ups profit as UK sales decline". 12 January 2015.
  11. ↑ foodmanufacture.co.uk (19 February 2018). "Princes reveals business review". foodmanufacture.co.uk. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  12. ↑ "Factories to close as canned foods business automates". 12 October 2018..
  13. ↑ foodmanufacture.co.uk (26 April 2019). "Princes Manchester juice factory has £3.8m price tag". foodmanufacture.co.uk. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
  14. ↑ "Princes announces intended acquisition by Newlat Food S.p.A - Princes Group". 27 May 2024. Retrieved 31 May 2024.
  15. ↑ "Newlat Food S.p.A Completes Acquisition of Princes Limited". Princes Group. Retrieved 4 October 2024.
  16. ↑ "Premier Foods boosts food manufacturer's sales to £1.51bn". Foodmanufacture.co.uk. 17 December 2012. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  17. ↑ "Princes : Our Brands". Princesgroup.com. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  18. ↑ "Princes to double size of European revenues following acquisition of Italian tomato factory". Princes Group. 3 May 2012. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  19. ↑ "Sourcing and Manufacturing". Princes Group. Retrieved 28 January 2014.
  20. ↑ "Princes Tuna (Mauritius) Marine Road".
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.