Celje, 14 October (STA) - Frutarom Etol, the Israeli-owned Slovenian flavourings maker, saw its net profit increase by 7% to EUR 12.2m last year as sales revenue rose 9.5% to EUR 79.5m in what the company labelled as its most successful year yet.
In the company's annual report, filed with the AJPES agency for public legal records, CEO Zdenko Zanoški noted synergies created from the acquisition of Vitiva, a Lendava-based company specialising in herbal aromas, and comprehensive integration of production processes within the Israeli Frutarom group.
Vitiva, acquired in 2014, is the second most important of the nine companies in the Celje-based Frutarom Etol group. Vitiva sales rose to EUR 14.1m last year from EUR 11.8m in 2016.
Of the EUR 2.1m capital expenditure planned for 2017, the group realised EUR 875,660 worth of investment in modernisation and expansion of liquid aroma production capacities, among other things.
Investments were below plans mainly because it took longer than planned to sanction and prepare investment projects and because of more consistent market price analyses.
The number of employees in the group increased by 3.3% to 317.
Israeli group Frutarom, which took over Celje-based Etol in 2012, has recently been acquired by US multinational International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF).
ITF will pay US$7.1bn for Frutarom as well as take over its entire net debt in a transaction that has already been endorsed by the management boards of both companies.
The takeover, the second largest in Israel's history, will make IFF the world's largest flavours maker.