[A]merica’s second-largest coffee equipment manufacturer, Wilbur Curtis, is set to be acquired by Groupe SEB, a France-based conglomerate of small appliance manufacturers. Financial details of the deal have yet to be disclosed, however, the acquisition is expected to be finalized in February after regulatory approval and Groupe SEB has confirmed that the deal will be debt financed.
Curtis has been family owned for the past 78 years in Montebello, California, producing innovative commercial brewing solutions since 1941. In a statement released by Groupe SEB, Wilbur Curtis’ annual sales have grown to an approximate $90 million, and the company currently employs 300 people
Groupe SEB first entered the coffee equipment market in 2001 with the acquisition of small appliance maker Krups, before expanding into commercial equipment in 2016 with the acquisition of German manufacturing company WMF. Other products that the conglomerate produces include All-Clad cookware and Rowenta clothes steamers and irons.
Thierry de La Tour d’Artaise, chairman and CEO of Groupe SEB, said in a press release that the Wilbur Curtis acquisition represents “a very valuable strategic complement to its product offering and customer portfolio. As a result, Groupe SEB becomes one of the leaders in the professional coffee business in the U.S.”
