Jacobs Douwe Egberts
 |
|
| Private | |
| Industry | Beverages |
| Founded | 2015 |
| Headquarters | Oosterdoksstraat 80, 1011 DK Amsterdam, Netherlands |
| Owner | Acorn Holdings (56%) Mondelez International (44%) |
| Website | jacobsdouweegberts |
Jacobs Douwe Egberts, is a Dutch privately owned company that owns a number of beverage brands (coffee, tea and hot chocolate). It was formed in 2015 following the merger of the coffee division of Mondelez International with Douwe Egberts. The company is majority owned by Acorn Holdings, a subsidiary of JAB Holding Company. Mondelez International owns the remaining shares.
The company has its origins in De Witte Os, a general grocery shop that Egbert Douwes established in 1753 in Joure, Netherlands. In 1780, the company was transferred to his eldest son Douwe Egberts. It developed into a company dealing in coffee, tea, and tobacco. By 1925 it had changed its name to Douwe Egberts (as in Douwe, the son of Egbert), and had introduced the red seal as its logo.
In 1948, the company began to sell its products in Belgium, followed by France, Spain and Denmark. It founded a new holding company, Douwe Egberts Koninklijke ("Royal Douwe Egberts") in 1968, and a year later took over the Dutch coffee manufacturer Kanis & Gunnink.
The company expanded through Europe, acquiring other tea, coffee and tobacco companies, such as the UK tea distributor Horniman's Tea.
In 1978 Douwe Egberts was taken over by Consolidated Foods Corporation, later the Sara Lee Corporation. In 1989, Douwe Egberts purchased Van Nelle, its main Dutch competitor in coffee, tea and tobacco. It sold its tobacco interests, including Van Nelle and Drum rolling tobacco, to Imperial Tobacco in 1998.
In 2001, the company collaborated with Philips to produce the Senseo coffee maker. The following year it established the Douwe Egberts Foundation, an independent entity that initiates and manages coffee and tea projects in countries of origin.
Douwe Egberts sued the province of Groningen in 2007 over the introduction of rules stating that all coffee supplied in the province must meet Fair trade criteria set by Stichting Max Havelaar. Courts ruled in favour of the province of Groningen.
...
Wikipedia