ECULLY, France —Groupe SEB has completed its acquisition of brewing equipment manufacturer Wilbur Curtis after the transaction was granted all necessary regulatory clearances. The deal has expanded the French conglomerate’s foray into the U.S. professional coffee machine market.
Montebello, Calif.-based Wilbur Curtis is one of the biggest names in coffee and tea brewing, having grown its sales to more than $90 million since the company began in 1941. The company is known for its filter coffee and cappuccino machines. Wilbur Curtis manufactures equipment for the coffeehouse, restaurant, hotel and convenience-store industries.
For the past few years, Groupe SEB, whose portfolio includes brands such as All-Clad, Tefal and Krups, has been expanding its reach in the commercial coffee industry. In 2016, SEB acquired WMF, a German espresso machine manufacturer.
″I would like to extend a warm welcome to Wilbur Curtis’ teams joining us today,” said Thierry de La Tour d’Artaise, chairman and CEO of Groupe SEB. “Alongside them, we are entering a new stage in our development, leveraging our combined expertise to become the leader in the professional coffee industry in the United States.″
Ecully, France-based Groupe SEB sells about 300 million products each year. It operates in nearly 150 countries and has approximately 33,000 employees.
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