French importer now owns 90 per cent of Sopromat, as it continues to make strategic investments aimed at doubling its sales
Paris-based tropical fruit importer Omer-Decugis & Cie says it has increased its majority shareholding in Côte d’Ivoire-based mango company Sopromat, as part of a wider investment strategy that aims to double the group’s sales by the end of the decade.
The company confirmed the move as part of its third-quarter results announcement, in which it also revealed it had increased its revenue by 14.6 per cent to €250.9mn during the first nine months of its 2025/26 financial year.
Revenue for the third quarter itself rose by 10.2 per cent to €87.5m, it said, driven by a 13.7 per cent increase at SIIM, the group’s main import division.
“This first half of the year confirmed the group’s strong sales momentum with growth in excess of 16 per cent, driven by the very good performance of the SIIM division and the continued development of Bratigny,” said Vincent Omer-Decugis, chairman and chief executive officer.
“We are continuing to strengthen our commercial positions in our main markets in France and abroad, while expanding our product offering, particularly through packaging solutions that reflect new consumer habits.”
Omer-Decugis conceded that this growth had required “operational adjustments” which alongside a shift in foreign exchange rates had negatively affected its profit margins.
“At the same time, our cash generation improved significantly, reflecting the strength of our fundamentals,” he noted, adding that the group’s strategic plan for 2030 would continue.
As well as upping its investment in Sopromat from 69 per cent to 90 per cent, that plan also includes the opening of a new logistics platform in Dunkirk, where it will run its new fresh-cut produce joint venture with UK market leader PrepWorld.
Work on the facility is said to be on schedule, with operations expected to begin by the end of 2027.
Sopromat, which operates a mango packing and preparation facility at Bama in region of San Pedro, in the south-west of Côte d’Ivoire, is expected to provide another important opportunity to increase sales of tropical fruit into Europe.
“These investments are key drivers of our development and support our ambition to double our revenue by 2030.”
