Belgian frozen fries specialist to be acquired by US company
Flemish company Clarebout Potatoes, which specialises in frozen fries, is being acquired by US food and farming company Simplot, the two announced in a press release on Saturday.
Family-owned Clarebout, based in West Flanders, had been looking for a US partner for some time before the acquisition. The deal is yet to receive the necessary approvals, but the companies expect to complete the sale before the end of this year.
“We could have continued on our own, but the economic realities of the world and rational insight brought us together,” said CEO Jan Clarebout.
According to Simplot, the businesses complement each other well. “This acquisition not only increases our capacity to serve the European market, but also unites two family-owned businesses that are closely aligned in terms of core values and commitment to customers, employees and the environment in which we operate,” said Graham Dugdale, president of Simplot’s Global Food business.
The press release states that staff and factories in Europe will be retained and even expanded following the acquisition.
"We could have continued on our own, but the economic realities of the world and rational insight brought us together"
Clarebout is based in Nieuwkerke, where it employs more than 3,000 people. Its Belgian factories are in Nieuwkerke and Warmines in Wallonia. The company opened a new factory in Dunkirk, France, two years ago.
Founded by Jan Clarebout in 1988, the company is a global player in frozen chips and exports to more than 120 countries. It ranks third in the world, behind Canada’s McCain and US rival Lamb Weston.
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An employee at the Clarebout factory near Dunkirk, northern France, 25 February 2025 © PHOTO FRANCOIS LO PRESTI / AFP
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