Givaudan completes acquisition of DDW, The Color House

Aligned with its 2025 strategy to expand its global Taste & Wellbeing business portfolio, Givaudan announced that it had completed the acquisition of DDW, The Color House, a US-based natural color company. The acquisition enables Givaudan to become the number two global player in natural colors.

Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, USA, DDW is a leading privately-held company in the natural color industry, with 12 manufacturing facilities worldwide and 315 associates. Founded in 1865, the company has developed a strong market position from its origins in the brewing industry through its market-leading capabilities in caramel colors. For the last 20 years, it has had a strong focus on natural colors for the food and beverage industry.

Louie D'Amico, president of Givaudan's Taste & Wellbeing, said, "Today is an exciting day as we welcome DDW associates to the Givaudan family. The acquisition of DDW further strengthens our leadership position in the color business globally. We are confident that our complementary portfolio and capabilities will deliver a compelling, valuable proposition to our customers across segments and in key markets, enabling us to co-create multisensorial food experiences consumers love".

"We are thrilled to begin this new chapter as a part of Givaudan," said DDW's chief executive officer and president, Elaine Gravatte. "Our associates and our customers will quickly experience the benefits as we combine our strengths and capabilities. We look forward to exploring many new opportunities for growth and success in the natural color market."

The terms of the deal have not been disclosed, and Givaudan debt funded the transaction. DDW's business would have represented approximately US $ 140 million of incremental sales to Givaudan's results in 2020 on a proforma basis.