As part of its mission to make 100% slave-free the norm in chocolate, Tony’s Chocolonely has acquired Althaea NV and De Laet International NV, forming chocolate factory Althaea-De Laet Int.
The acquisition marks a strategic milestone for Tony’s growth plans: by operating its own factory to mold its chocolate bars, Tony’s expects to be able to innovate faster and be more flexible on production level while scaling up its manufacturing capacity.
Tony’s will continue to collaborate with its other long-term partners. The acquisition also marks an important step to pursuing the company’s dream of Tony’s Chocolonely Chocolate Circus, a factory on the border of Zaanstad and Amsterdam, which will be realised in the years to come.
Anne-Wil Dijkstra, Choco Co-Captain (COO) at Tony’s Chocolonely, commented: “We’re thrilled to announce this acquisition. It’s an exciting next step for Tony’s Chocolonely as a fast-growing impact company that wants to change a whole industry from within and make 100% slave free the norm in chocolate.
“Ingrid, Alain and the team at Althaea-De Laet Int. have been our partners from the very beginning, supporting our mission even though it might have seemed next-level ambitious at times – and some of our ideas like creating an unequally divided chocolate bar were a little bit crazy at the very least. We’re very grateful for this opportunity and the trust they have in Tony’s to honor and safeguard the future of this company that has been built with so much love.”
Tony’s will collaborate closely with the factory’s management team to ensure a smooth transition in the next couple of years.
Anne-Wil Dijkstra added: “The whole Althaea-De Laet Int. team has decades of knowledge and skills under their belt. They know all the ins and outs of how to mold the tastiest chocolate and efficiently operate a production facility. Production on this scale is a new capability for us. But we’re excited to partner and learn from them and to get a grip on the production over time.”
