Tetra Pak already provides ice cream equipment, including raw material storage, mix preparation, continuous freezing and inclusion systems, and production systems for molded and extruded ice cream products.
The acquisition of Big Drum will strengthen the company’s presence in the “filled” ice cream segment (eg tubs and cones) which represents approximately half of the global packaged ice cream market.
“This acquisition means we can now provide an even more extensive range of production technology for ice cream manufacturers and expand our collaboration with them,” said Monica Gimre, executive VP, Processing Systems, Tetra Pak.
“This, in turn, will allow us to deliver even greater value, by securing efficiencies in technical service across a number of different lines, and offering portfolio-wide support to their product development and marketing activities.”
Big Drum, based in Edertal, Germany, provides medium-to-high capacity filling machines for the global ice cream market.
In a joint statement, Hans-Peter Trosse and Matthias Ruppert, managing directors of Big Drum, said it expects to see ‘significant growth opportunities’ through Tetra Pak.
“We are convinced we will be able to provide stronger support to our customers, thanks to Tetra Pak’s worldwide presence, extensive sales and service channels, technical support and expertise in food manufacturing,” it said.
Following the acquisition, all Big Drum managers and employees will remain at the company at its current location.