French Potato Chips Company Acquired by Marbour Foods

Sibell – a French potato chips manufacturer - has been acquired by Marbour Foods, writes La Provance. The latter has been under judicial administration since February.

The sale of Sibell, which was ordered by the Marseille Commercial Court, comes after months of turmoil. In December 2018, the shareholders sold their shares to a buyer, but the transactions later turned out to be fraudulent and were canceled during legal proceedings.

The current equity-financed offer is said to provide the take-over of 149 Sibell employees and the company’s site production increase of 3,000 tons to reach a turnover of EUR40m by 2021, against EUR27m today.

Sibell was founded by Charles Bankemoun in 1987 as Delichips. The company has bought its more historical rival Sibell (established in the 1950s) in 2003 and assumed the name. Since then, Sibell has been diversifying its portfolio to include not only chips but also additional snacks such as Asian snacks, popcorn, popped snacks and more.

In the potato chips category, Sibell offers a wide range of options including a Classic lineup in Salt, Paprika, Vinegar or Bolognese flavors, a Rotisserie series with Herbes de Provence or Nature options and many others. The company also sells an Organic Health chips option.