Van Houtte
 | |
| Private | |
| Industry |
Restaurants Retail Coffee Retail Beverages Entertainment |
| Founded | In 1919 as a Speciality grocery store in Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Founder | Albert-Louis Van Houtte |
| Headquarters | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
| Products |
Whole Bean Coffee Made-to-order beverages Bottled beverages Baked Goods Merchandise |
| Services | Coffee |
| Owner | Green Mountain Coffee Roasters |
| Website | VanHoutte.com |
Van Houtte Inc. is a company based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada that processes, distributes and sells coffee and related products.
French-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.
Van Houtte still sells coffee directly to customers through its chain of cafés throughout Quebec.[4] 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.[5]
On September 14, 2010, Van Houtte Inc. agreed to be bought by Vermont based coffee company, Green Mountain Coffee Roasters for Can $915 million.[6] The completion of the transaction was announced on December 17, 2010.[7]
On August 29, 2011 Green Mountain Coffee Roasters sold Van Houtte's U.S. Coffee Service business (Filterfresh) to Aramark for $145 million.[8]
Photos
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Albert Louis and his first store in 1919.
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Entrance to Van Houtte café at Ottawa Central Bus Station.
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A 2000-04 Ford Focus wagon from Van Houtte.
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Higher resolution photo of Mr. Van Houtte in Montreal.
See also
- Coffee portal
References
- ↑ Belliveau, Gilles (August 11, 2006). "Descendance de Van HOUTTE Auguste-Louis" [Descendants of Auguste-Louis Van Houtte]. Le site de généalogie de Gilles Belliveau (in French). Archived from the original on October 11, 2008.
- ↑ "Van Houtte Inc". Funding Universe. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
- ↑ "Van Houtte website: Coffee Services". Vanhoutte.com. 2013-04-12. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
- ↑ "Find a Café-Bistro". Vanhoutte.com. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
- ↑ Private equity firm buying Van Houtte: Connecticut-based Littlejohn & Co. plans privatization, By LuAnn LaSalle of Canadian Press, The Toronto Star, May 8, 2007, retrieved on May 23, 2007
- ↑ Green Mountain Coffee buys Van Houtte for $915M, by LuAnn LaSalle of the Toronto Star, The Toronto Star, September 14, 2010, retrieved on September 14, 2010
- ↑ Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, Inc. Acquires Van Houtte, Reuters, December 17, 2010
- ↑ Business Wire (2011-10-03). "Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Completes Sale of Filterfresh Business to ARAMARK". Business Wire. Retrieved 2013-05-07.