Kerry Group could top €1bn in acquisitions this year as sales rise

Acquisitions will remain a strong focus of Kerry Group’s growth strategy this year, with the food and ingredients group saying it could match last year’s record spend of around €900m if the right opportunities arise.

Speaking yesterday at the publication of the group’s 2015 annual results, group chief executive Stan McCarthy said capital expenditure will amount to 3%-4% of revenue — much the same as last year — with significant organic investment due to go towards improving existing manufacturing facilities.

He also said that Kerry will remain visible on the M&A front and has an active acquisition pipeline “going on right now”.