Fusioni & Acquisizioni

🍵 Bazzara, Trieste-based artisan roastery, launches Rarity Line of exclusive single-origin coffees, featuring Nepal Himalaya, Jamaica Blue Mountain, and Panama Geisha—signifying less than 0.01% of the global coffee market. Celebrated at the Luxury Food&Beverage Quality Awards 2023 and 2024, these coffees are hand-picked at elevations up to 2300 meters and slow-roasted. The specialty coffee segment records a 10% annual increase with a growing demand for superior 100% Arabica.

🏠 LMDV Hospitality Group, led by Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio, acquires 100% of Gruppo Twiga from Flavio Briatore's Majestas Group, merging with Triple Sea Food (Casa Fiori Chiari, Trattoria del Ciumbia, Vesta). Expansion includes Vesta's relocation to Twiga in Forte dei Marmi, transformation of ex-Billionaire into Twiga in Sardinia with two restaurants, Vesta's introduction in Montecarlo and Baia Beniamin, and a new Twiga opening in Milan scheduled for September.

🍝 Sgambaro leads the spelt pasta market with a 24.6% value market share and a 7.1% growth in 2024 over the previous year, outstripping the spelt segment's average growth of +2%. Spelt-related products, including pasta, are expected to see a 20% increase in value in 2024, potentially reaching €36 million, as consumers opt for healthier, sustainable food choices. Pierantonio Sgambaro, President of Sgambaro, highlights the renewed interest in ancient grains like spelt, which has been cultivated for 10,000 years. Sgambaro Pasta Farro uses biologically grown spelt from the clay-rich hills of Siena. Founded in 1947 by Tullio Sgambaro and his sons, the Veneto-based company focuses on high-quality pasta and ancient grains, including Khorasan wheat, supporting sustainable agriculture.

🍪 Plasmon, a leading Italian baby food brand, might be sold by owner Kraft Heinz, which has engaged Houlihan Lokey to find potential buyers. Interest is shown from Newlat Food, active in baby food production and previously linked with Plasmon, and investment fund Aurelius, in Italy since 2021. Newlat acquired Plasmon's Ozzano Taro facility in 2015 and manufactures baby milk for Abbott there. The Latina facility, producing Plasmon biscuits and baby food, could be key in negotiations. The potential sale suggests imminent ownership change, affecting Plasmon's production and commercial strategy.

🏨 IHG acquired Ruby Hotels, including an initial hotel in Florence and an upcoming one in Rome, for €110.5 million. Ruby, founded in 2013, operates 20 hotels with 3,483 rooms across Europe and plans 10 more hotels, adding 2,235 rooms. Including cities like London, Vienna, Geneva, and Zurich, future openings are scheduled in Edinburgh, Marseille, Rome, and Stockholm within three years. The integration of Ruby hotels into IHG's system is set to start in 2025, increasing IHG's global system size by 0.3%, with an expected €10 million integration operational cost. Ruby has a 26% five-year CAGR and aims to grow to over 120 hotels in 10 years with IHG, potentially reaching 250 in 20 years.

🏨 BWH Hotels Italia & Malta closed 2024 with a turnover of €377 million, an average annual occupancy rate of 74%, and an Adr increase of +3.8%. Key destination Adr increases included Rome (+7.8%), Padova (+7.1%), and Firenze (+5.6%). The RevPar rose by an average of 2.7% from 2023, with regional highs in Veneto (+11%) and Lazio (+8%). Compared to 2019, Adr and RevPar have grown by 34% and 38.5%, respectively. CEO Sara Digiesi highlighted over 100 destinations covered and customer satisfaction growth. The Revenue Generating Index (RGI) from STR stood at 114, surpassing market averages. For the winter period, room occupancy and Adr grew by 4%, and spring-summer bookings are up by 10% with a 3% higher Adr. BWH is undertaking 42 renovation projects and has made 61 PMS technology upgrades. In expansion efforts, 12 new locations were launched in 2024, with 6 affiliations forthcoming, adding a total of 769 rooms to the network.

📌 IHG acquires Ruby brand for an initial purchase price of €110.5 million. Currently, Ruby manages 20 hotels (3,483 rooms) across major European cities and has 10 more in the pipeline (2,235 rooms). IHG's goal is to expand Ruby to over 120 hotels in the next decade, and more than 250 in 20 years. Ruby Group maintains operational independence while IHG aims to develop a third-party franchising business. The strategic framework ensures close collaboration while preserving Ruby's identity and innovative approach. Ruby's efficient operational model, including automation and self-service to maintain low labor costs without compromising personalized service, is protected under the agreement. Ruby hotels are located in Germany (9), the UK (3), Austria (3), Switzerland (2), Italy (1), Ireland (1), and the Netherlands (1); with future openings in Edinburgh, Marseille, Rome, and Stockholm within three years. Elie Maalouf, CEO of IHG, and Michael Struck, CEO of The Ruby Group, express confidence in the brand's growth and efficiency for investors and real estate partners.

✈️ Madagascar Airlines began codesharing with Air France on the historic Paris-Antananarivo route starting February 4. The agreement includes flights numbered MD7050 from Antananarivo to Paris and MD7051 for the return, operating 4 to 5 times a week in winter. Passengers now have connections to 10 additional European destinations. This follows a Special Prorate Agreement signed in October 2024, enhancing the partnership between the two airlines. CEO Thierry de Bailleul highlights the strategic move for better connectivity and market presence.

📍 Central America boosts air connectivity with Europe: Air France increases flights with two direct connections from Madrid to San José, Costa Rica, and four additional flights with layovers in Mexico and the US, while Air Europa adds direct flights from Madrid to Tocumen International Airport in Panama, a weekly direct flight to Santo Domingo, and two weekly flights to San Pedro Sula, Honduras. British Airways offers a seasonal flight directly connecting London Gatwick with Juan Santamaría International Airport in Costa Rica three times a week from November to March. Iberia maintains daily flights to Guatemala, El Salvador, Panama, and the Dominican Republic, with Avianca providing seasonal flights from June to January between Madrid and San Salvador. 🚀 Investments in airport infrastructure include a $250 million renovation of Belize's Philip Goldson International Airport, a public-private partnership to upgrade Guatemala's La Aurora International Airport, a $320 million funded project by CAF for El Salvador's "El Salvador Vuela" program including the construction of the Pacific Airport and the renovation of Ilopango Airport, Honduras' modernization of Ramón Villeda Morales International Airport, Nicaragua's upcoming $400 million Punta Huete International Airport with a July start date, and Panama's modernization plans for Tocumen Airport, which served 1.6 million passengers in June 2024. Santo Domingo's Las Americas José Francisco Peña Gómez International Airport in the Dominican Republic is set to build a

🏖 Human Company is hiring over 700 positions for hu openair facilities in Veneto, Toscana, Lazio, and Luxembourg, including Palagina and PLUS Florence in Firenze. After a notable 2024 with an 11% revenue increase and a turnover exceeding €160 million, the company is launching a recruitment campaign. Mattia Rosati emphasizes the importance of employee well-being. The company seeks 320 hospitality and customer support staff, 300 service area workers, and 80 technical professionals. Toscana has 500 job openings, Veneto and Lazio each have 100. Employee benefits include training courses and welfare practices.