Blommer Chocolate sold to global manufacturer

Chicago-based Blommer Chocolate Company will be acquired by Fuji Oil Holdings Inc., a global manufacturer of oil and fat ingredients for the food industry, the companies announced Monday.

Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

The sale includes all of Blommer's business entities, including its four factories in North America and one in Shanghai.

Blommer, founded in 1939, has more than 900 employees in its five locations. The company's primary focus is cocoa bean processing and chocolate manufacturing and developing products for the confectionery, baking and dairy industries. While the family-owned company does not sell its products retail - with the exception of a store at its factory - it is best known by Chicagoans for the cocoa scent that wafts from its large factory just west of the Loop.

Blommer CEO Peter Blommer, a third-generation family member, called the sale "a landmark event" in the company's 80-year history and said the acquisition will broaden the company's global footprint.

"Our companies share common values and a deep commitment to product quality, innovation and customer service," he said. "With our combined expertise in chocolate and fats and oils, both rooted in product and process innovation, we have the opportunity to create a broad global footprint from which to serve our customers and drive growth."

Blommer, along with the existing senior management team, will continue to lead the company after the transaction.

Founded in 1950 in Japan, Fuji Oil is a supplier of food ingredients, with oil and fat, chocolate, emulsified and fermented food and soy protein as its primary focus, according to President and CEO Hiroshi Shimizu. The company has 11 chocolate factories in eight countries and has a wide range of chocolate business in Japan, Southeast Asia, Brazil and Belgium.

"By partnering with Blommer, we are convinced that the combination of our know-how and operations in our respective regions will provide significant opportunities and choices for our customers," Shimizu said.