Cadbury takeover creates confectionary giant

Chocolate-to-soft drinks group Cadbury Schweppes today completed a £2.7bn (€3.9bn) deal to create what it believes will be the world’s largest confectionery business.

Under the deal, agreed in December, Cadbury Schweppes has acquired chewing gum maker Adams from US giant Pfizer.

The acquisition brings the Trident, Dentyne and Bubbas brands of gum as well as the Halls medicated sweets range into the Cadbury Schweppes group.

It also gives the group access to major new markets including Latin America.

Cadbury Schweppes chief executive John Sunderland, said: “Adams brings Cadbury Schweppes powerful brands, access to new geographies and significant scale in the fastest growing confectionery sectors.

“Together we are able to offer our customers and consumers a full range of products in every confectionery category which then gives us an excellent platform for growth and value creation.”

Cadbury Schweppes and Adams operations in the Americas will be integrated into new unit to be called Americas Confectionery.

Elsewhere Adams operations will report to Cadbury Schweppes’s European, Middle Eastern & African, and Asian arms.