ORIENTIS GOURMET acquired by NEXT WORLD EVERGREEN

Next World Evergreen, a private‑market investor with a permanent‑capital structure and a focus on retail and consumer‑goods brands, invested EUR 20 million in Orientis Gourmet, the holding company behind the Kusmi Tea and LØv Organic brands. The transaction is structured as a minority stake, with the Orebi family remaining the majority and controlling shareholder, and the capital injection deployed primarily through an equity increase. The investment is part of a broader strategy to accelerate the international rollout of Kusmi Tea, including deeper penetration in the German market, where the brand already enjoys strong margin potential, and the expansion of franchise‑driven boutique networks in Asia, with entries in Korea scheduled for 2018 through a partnership with Blue Bell. Orientis Gourmet plans to allocate around EUR 6 million over three years to modernize its blending, flavoring, and packaging lines at the Saint‑Vigor‑d’Ymonville site, including the introduction of automated sachet‑filling equipment, which allows the group to bring previously outsourced pouch‑making activities back to France while maintaining cost equivalence.