Skånemejerier is strengthening its position in the fruit drinks market after completing the acquisition of the ProViva brand, including the Skåne-based production facility Österlenmejeriet.
In November, Lactalis — the French dairy group that owns Skånemejerier — signed an agreement to acquire the ProViva brand from Danone and minority shareholder Skånemejerier Economic Association. The transaction has now been finalised.
The deal also includes the Lunnarp-based production site Österlenmejeriet, bringing ProViva back into the Skånemejerier family after more than a decade.
With the acquisition of Österlenmejeriet, future juice production in Sweden is secured, strengthening the country’s food supply. At the facility in Lunnarp, outside Tomelilla in Skåne, around 80 employees currently produce not only ProViva drinks but also Skånemejerier products under the Bravo brand.
Following the acquisition, Skånemejerier will employ approximately 900 people in total, and Österlenmejeriet will become the company’s fifth production site, alongside its facilities in Malmö, two in Kristianstad, and Hjo.
A natural next step in the strategy
- Healthy products are at the heart of Skånemejerier’s business, so this acquisition is a natural next step in our strategy. We are strengthening our offering in the category while also building capacity for the future, said Cecilia von Perglas, Chief Executive of Skånemejerier in a press release.
ProViva originated from a research project at Lund University that explored the impact of beneficial bacteria on gut health. The project resulted in the fermentation of oats using the patented bacterial strain LP299V. In collaboration with Skånemejerier, this led to the development of ProViva.
The first ProViva drinks containing the bacteria — ProViva Rosehip and ProViva Blueberry — were launched on the Swedish market in 1994. The bacterial strain remains the foundation of ProViva’s beverages today.
- With ProViva’s expertise, resources and strong Swedish presence, we see exciting opportunities to grow our current product portfolio. It is fantastic to be able to bring back one of our strongest innovations, including both the brand and its production, and close the circle. We now look forward to continuing the innovation journey for ProViva and meeting the growing demand for healthy drinks, von Perglas said.