Outsourcing: A win for Barry Callebaut

Barry Callebaut AG has announced its key sales figures for the first three months of fiscal year 2007/08 ended November 30, 2007.

The company achieved continued strong sales growth in the first three months of the current fiscal year as sales volumes rose 10.6% to 331,916 metric tonnes - more than three times the growth rate of the global chocolate market.

Volumes were driven by a good development of the Food Manufacturers business unit as an increasing number of food manufacturers outsourced their chocolate needs to Barry Callebaut.

The Gourmet & Specialties business unit also saw solid growth as demand for premium quality chocolate continued to rise. Sales revenue increased 21.9% to CHF 1,419.4 million.

A part of this increase related to higher raw material prices partly passed on to customers and favorable exchange rate effects, primarily the appreciation of the Euro against the company's reporting currency, Swiss franc.

Adjusted for cocoa price increases and currency effects, sales revenue rose 15.2% in the first three months of fiscal year 2007/08.