Lavazza buys Kicking Horse, leader in the organic and fair-trade sector

Italian coffee giant Lavazza has bought 80% of Canada’s Kicking Horse Coffee company, a Canadian leader in the organic and fair-trade sector, Ansa reported.

Elana Rosenfeld, founder and CEO, will stay on as a CEO with 20% of shares. The acquisition, 215-million Canadian dollars,  would seek to valorise Kicking Horse’s brand equity as it has done with other recent acquisitions, of France’s Carte Noire and Denmark’s Merrild.

“Kicking Horse represents one of those local jewels that the Lavazza Group continues to seek in its strategy of globalisation and premium positioning,” said Lavazza CEO Antonio Baravalle.