Van Houtte

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Van Houtte Inc. (TSX: VH) is a company based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada that processes, distributes and sells coffee and related products.

France-born Albert-Louis Van Houtte (1877–1944)^[1] emigrated to Canada in 1912. After the First World War made his attempt at a horse importing business unsustainable, he turned to food retailing. He opened a grocery store in 1919 to sell specialty items, but soon found particular success with gourmet coffee roasting.

After Van Houtte's death in 1944, his family continued to operate and develop the Maison A.L. Van Houtte business. In 1980, the family business evolved into a corporation known as A.L Van Houtte Inc., led by Paul-André Guillotte and Benoît Beauregard. Its corporate name was shortened to Van Houtte Inc. following a shareholder vote on 12 September 2000.^[2]

Today, Van Houtte has grown into an international supplier of coffee, coffee machines and related support for over 60,000 offices and other places of employment in the United States and Canada. The company claims this to be the largest such system in North America.^[3] Van Houtte also supplies and supports coffee sales for cafeterias, grocery and convenience stores, restaurants and hotels. Van Houtte also offers a selection of fair-traded coffee products.

Entrance to Van Houtte café at Ottawa Bus Central Station

Van Houtte still sells coffee directly to customers through its chain of cafés throughout the province of Quebec. It also operates a store in one Ontario location at the Ottawa Bus Central Station. Van Houtte also offers coffee and associated products for sale through its website.

In May 2007, U.S. private equity firm Littlejohn & Co announced a $600 million deal that will take Van Houtte ownership out of Canadian hands, although the gourmet coffee company will continue to have headquarters in Montreal under its existing name and have the leadership of its current management team. ^[4]