Paulig’s Tex-Mex range grows with Liven purchase

The Catalan family business has 290 employees and generated 63 million euros in revenue in 2021

The food and drink company Paulig has completed the purchase of the Catalan company Liven, which has one of the largest portfolios of Tex-Mex products and snacks in Europe. In so doing, the Finnish company is boosting its growth in this industry, in which it is already a leader on the continent. Strongly established in Scandinavia and the Baltic countries, this transaction also gives the company a foothold in Western Europe.

Liven has its headquarters in Sant Cugat (Barcelona), with two production plants in Berga and Puig-Reig, in the same province, where it manufactures products under its own brand as well as for third parties. It also has a distribution centre in Ocaña (Toledo). A family-owned company, Paulig has emphasised Liven’s innovative character, as well as the size of its product portfolio, which generated 63 million euros in revenue in 2021. It has in addition been announced that all its 290 employees will be kept on.

Sustainable growth
Created in 1990, Liven specialises in the development, manufacture and marketing of snacks, microwave popcorn, tortillas and Tex-Mex products. The company’s 100% plant-based recipes are made from corn, vegetables, cereals and pulses. It also makes gluten-free and organic products.

Also family owned, Paulig was founded in 1876, sells its products in 70 markets and employs more than two thousand people in 13 countries. Another thing Paulig and Liven have in common is the importance they place on sustainable growth.

Production capacity
Paulig CEO, Rolf Ladau, explains the operation, “The acquisition of Liven is an important step in the execution of our growth strategy and ambition to become one of the fastest-growing and most profitable food and beverage companies in Europe and a sustainable frontrunner in the industry. Liven’s agile innovation and production capabilities strengthen Paulig’s position as the leading European Tex-Mex company, and also complement our offering with new types of snacks.”

Liven’s CEO, Salvador Montagut, greets the new owners and highlights their common values, “My goal as the CEO has been to secure a sustainable future for Liven, its employees, and the Bergadà area, and to seek international growth in a way that matches our values of caring for people and the planet. I am very pleased that Liven is becoming part of Paulig. We share the same values and sustainability ambitions, and together we can strengthen our R+D capabilities to create a snacking centre of excellence for Paulig and expand to new geographical areas and categories.”

Photo: Paulig