ECF Asia Pacific has announced its intention to acquire Southern Hospitality – New Zealand. Subject to some final conditions it is expected that completion of the sale will be effective February 2023.
Announcing the acquisition, Christophe Alaux, Chairman and CEO of ECF Group, said this new operation shows the attractiveness of ECF Group in the B2B distribution for food service players.
“The acquisition of Southern Hospitality is a strategic move for ECF Group in the region, which completes other M&A operations in a very short time to consolidate a new business: Large Kitchens & Large Equipment for professional kitchens, which now represents nearly 15 percent of our global turnover.”
Established in 1989, Southern Hospitality has grown into the largest hospitality supplies business in New Zealand, with unmatched market share penetration across hospitality, healthcare, education and accommodation. Over its 33-year history the company has grown to span over 14 locations and employ 180 team members.
“The importance of maintaining local management is essential to our success and is something ECF Asia Pacific has an ongoing commitment to,” says David Bull, Managing Director of ECF Group Asia Pacific.
“We are thrilled to confirm Deborah Mackay will continue to lead the company, and we look forward to welcoming the entire Southern Hospitality team into the group.
“In addition to our recent acquisitions, having the Southern Hospitality team as part of our group solidifies our position as the leading hospitality and care supplier in Asia Pacific. We are confident this acquisition will deliver benefits to customers, staff and suppliers and we look forward to growing and developing together,” said David Bull.
“We are very pleased that we have achieved the sale of the business and are excited about the future. This is a new chapter in the company’s history, and we expect to work together with our new owners to continue to grow the business and strive to be a world-class company,” says Deborah Mackay.
Southern Hospitality has developed several service offerings to complement their core business function of supplying food service solutions. These services include a strong product import programme; kitchen design, stainless-steel fabrication and extraction hood manufacturing. The collective strengths of the Southern Hospitality, Reward Hospitality and Safco brands in New Zealand will create a multi-disciplined network of companies.
“We would also like to acknowledge Southern Hospitality’s founder Roger Fewtrell, who played an integral role in sculpting the company into the successful business it is today. We wish Roger all the best with his future personal endeavours,” said Deborah Mackay.
With over 20 years of history in the Asia Pacific region and more than 140 years globally, ECF Asia Pacific is confident this acquisition will deliver benefits to customers, staff, suppliers and shareholders and further confirms their commitment of being the distributor, employer and supplier of choice in Asia Pacific.
