PROBAT Acquires Majority Holding In Leogap.

Brazil is a highly-desirable objective for coffee experts. The largest country in South America is second in worldwide coffee consumption, and at five percent per annum the actual leader in consumer growth.

As a producer of roasting machines and installations, PROBAT has been committed in Brazil for a long time, although it has often failed to achieve a more thorough penetration of the coffee market until now because of import restrictions and high customs duties on importation.

The Emmerich company has now opened up new marketing opportunities with the acquisition of a majority holding in Metalurgica Leogap S.A. This company was founded in 1963 and is among the market leaders in Brazil, with PROBAT technology always serving as a model for its own products. From now on the full PROBAT roasting and plant technology is available to the Brazilian enterprise.

Leogap general manager Rolf Kepper will continue to head the company as a fellow partner. His detailed knowledge of the market will enable him to extend PROBAT's success in Brazil. But the participation in Leogap does more than open up commercial opportunities for PROBAT. It is also evidence of PROBAT is consistent pursuit of its customer and market oriented activity. As general manager Heinz Jammers says: "We are where our customers are."