Ardian-backed Kersia acquires Choisy laboratories

This transaction grows Kersia’s geographical footprint in North America, allowing the company to expand its presence in new sub-segments and to acquire new technologies; it has been completed with the support of Ardian, its majority shareholder.
 
Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Louiseville (Quebec), Choisy focuses on research, manufacturing and marketing of food safety & biosecurity solutions, with a strong focus on value-added products, notably with eco-labelled solutions thanks to its biotechnological capabilities as well as its strong enzymatic know-how. The company employs 250 people and is primarily active in the Food Service and Hospitality market segments across eastern Canada and in Europe.  
 
With this acquisition, Kersia’s network will comprise 23 plants (o/w 16 owned), with c.1,200 employees and a turnover of c.€250 million. This is Kersia’s fifth strategic acquisition since its acquisition by Ardian in October 2016.
 
Sebastien Bossard, CEO of Kersia, said: “This acquisition is in line with Kersia’s growth strategy and ambition to become the world’s leading player in Food Safety solutions for the entire food chain from farm to fork. Combining the deep R&D and technological expertise of Choisy and Kersia’s teams, with the support of Ardian, grows our international footprint substantially and strengthens our offering. The complementarity between our two companies is strong, as are the common values we share. We are very pleased to welcome the Choisy team within our group.”
 
As far as Guy L. Trudeau, President and CEO of the Choisy Group is concerned, he declared: « I’m excited to conclude this transaction because of the great cultural and technological complementarities, as well as the growth opportunities and synergies that will be generated. The food industry and the professional hygiene markets will greatly benefit from the new modern alternatives in biosafety and food service hygiene solutions represented by the Choisy-Kersia offer. I am convinced that the conjunction of the Choisy-Kersia brands will serve as a value and growth accelerator for the company, its employees and shareholders in North America and Europe. » 
 
Thibault Basquin, Head of Americas Investments and Managing Director at Ardian Buyout, added: ”The Ardian team is very proud of what we have achieved with Sebastien Bossard and the Kersia team over the past two years, particularly in terms of Kersia’s transformation. I would like to thank the Trudeau family for entrusting Kersia as the new home for Choisy. This is a great step in our ambitious international development plans, and we look forward to further supporting Kersia’s journey towards growth.”