Aramark to join forces with Campbell Bewley?
Aramark UK is planning to form a joint-venture company with Campbell Catering, the contract catering arm of Dublin-based Campbell Bewley Group.
The deal would give the two companies a combined turnover of about £350m with some 900 accounts.
The proposal comes soon after Elior's takeover of Nelson Hind (Caterer, 15 June, page 8) and the proposed Granada/Compass merger (Caterer 18 May, page 5).
Under the terms of the deal Aramark and Campbell Catering would continue to run as independent operations under a holding company expected to be known as Aramark and Campbell Catering. Aramark chief executive Bill Toner is expected to run the UK operation and Dan Cronin, chief executive of Campbell Bewley, the Irish side of the business. Both men worked together at Gardner Merchant, now Sodexho.
Toner refused to comment on the proposed joint venture but confirmed that Aramark wanted partnerships with similar companies (both Campbell Bewley and Aramark are privately owned).
And Campbell Bewley chairman Patrick Bewley said last week that the re-badging of all contract catering under Campbell Catering would give the group the opportunity for "further synergies and strategic alliances".
Campbell Bewley is understood to be interested in buying Java City, a coffee concept based on the West coast of the USA. Java City already features in Aramark outlets in the USA and any deal could mean widespread use of the Java City brand in the UK.
by Jenny Webster jenny.webster@rbi.co.uk
Source: Caterer & Hotelkeeper magazine, 22-28 June 2000
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