Princes Group Explained

Princes Group
Type:Subsidiary
Industry:Food & Drink
Foundation:, in Liverpool, England
Founders:William Muirhead Simpson, Frank Roberts
Location City:Liverpool
Locations:14 production sites
Key People:Cameron Mackintosh – Managing Director,[1] Manabu Oda– Chairman
Products:Fish, meat, fruit, vegetables, soups, pastes, pasta, cooking sauces, edible oils and soft drinks
Revenue:£1.55bn billion (March 2017)[2]
Operating Income:£28.7 million (March 2017)
Net Income:£0.5 million (March 2017)
Num Employees:7,000+
Parent:Mitsubishi Corporation
Location Country:England

Princes Group is an international food and drink group involved in the manufacture, import and distribution of branded and customer own-brand products. Founded in 1880 and headquartered in the UK, since 1989 it has been owned by the Japanese conglomerate Mitsubishi Corporation.

History

Princes’ heritage dates back to 1880,[3] when it was established as a fish importing business in Liverpool, the city where its international headquarters are still located today. The firm was founded as a partnership by Briton William Muirhead Simpson (1842-1926) and Canadian Frank Roberts (1853-1938) and initially imported tinned lobster from Canada. It operated as Simpson Roberts, then created brands including Maypole (1891), Mikado (1895) and Princes (1900). By 1915, Simpson Roberts was the world's largest exporter of lobster, handling one third of the world's lobster trade. In 1919, the partnership was incorporated as a limited company. In 1962, it changed its name to Princes Foods.[4]

Princes first entered continental Europe in 1960[3] and today its European operations are managed from its offices in Rotterdam in the Netherlands.

In 1964, Princes was acquired by 'Trex' manufacturer J Bibby & Sons. In 1973, the combined business was sold to Italy's Buitoni group, which, in 1988 was acquired by Nestlé, with Princes then sold to Mitsubishi Corporation in 1989.[4]

As a wholly owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi,[3] Princes completed several high-profile mergers and acquisitions that added significant scale to the business. After the 2011 acquisition of Premier Foods' canning operations for £182M, Princes was, by 2013, the UK's largest supplier of tinned food; by 2020, it employed 7,000 people globally, 2,200 of them in UK.[4] However, in January 2023, Mitsubishi was reported to be considering selling the Princes Group,[5] [6] and in March 2023 potential buyers, including Bain Capital-backed Valeo Foods and the Aurelius Group investment firm, were reported to be considering bids of around £400M.[7]

Timeline

Operations

Princes' customers include major supermarkets, convenience stores, foodservice operators, wholesale suppliers and other food manufacturers. Its brands and products span over 20 different categories including fish, meat, fruit, vegetables, soups, pastes, pasta, cooking sauces, edible oils and a broad range of soft drinks sectors.[15]

Owned and operated brands

Brands (*= licensed brands) which Princes manufacture and produce include:[16]

Production sites

Princes operates 15 production sites situated in the UK, mainland Europe and Mauritius:

UK food sites

UK soft drinks sites

UK edible oils

International

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Princes news: Princes announces executive appointments as it faces next phase of development. www.princesgroup.com. 11 January 2019.
  2. Web site: Princes reveals business review. foodmanufacture.co.uk. foodmanufacture.co.uk. 19 February 2018 . 11 January 2019.
  3. Web site: Princes : About the Company : Our History . Princesgroup.com . 2013-03-25.
  4. Web site: Building Scale: a history of Princes Foods . Let's Look Again: a History of Branded Britain . 21 March 2023.
  5. News: Mattinson . Alec . Princes owner in search of buyer as sales fall sharply . 21 March 2023 . The Grocer . 12 January 2023.
  6. News: Robinson . Jon . 'No decisions made' on potential sale of food giant Princes after 'market speculation' . 21 March 2023 . BusinessLive . 20 January 2023.
  7. News: Hodgson . Neil . Takeover speculation continues with Princes Foods in sights of suitors . 21 March 2023 . The Business Desk . 17 March 2023.
  8. Book: Martin . Kathy . Famous Brand Names and Their Origins . 2017 . Pen & Sword . 9781781590157 . 61.
  9. Web site: Insider News North West – Princes targets £2bn after record year . Insidermedia.com . 2013-03-25.
  10. News: Hodgson . Neil . Princes Group in Italian production deal - Business News - LDP Business . Liverpool Daily Post . 2012-05-03 . 2013-03-25.
  11. News: Princes ups profit as UK sales decline. 12 January 2015.
  12. News: Factories to close as canned foods business automates. 12 October 2018. .
  13. Web site: foodmanufacture.co.uk. Princes Manchester juice factory has £3.8m price tag. 2022-12-04. foodmanufacture.co.uk. 26 April 2019 . en-GB.
  14. Web site: 2024-05-27 . Princes announces intended acquisition by Newlat Food S.p.A - Princes Group . 2024-05-31 . en-US.
  15. Web site: Premier Foods boosts food manufacturer's sales to £1.51bn . Foodmanufacture.co.uk . 17 December 2012. 2013-03-25.
  16. Web site: Princes : Our Brands . Princesgroup.com . 2013-03-25.
  17. Web site: Princes to double size of European revenues following acquisition of Italian tomato factory. Princes Group. 28 January 2014. 3 May 2012.
  18. Web site: Sourcing and Manufacturing. Princes Group. 28 January 2014.
  19. Web site: Princes Tuna (Mauritius) Marine Road.