Pladis

Brands

Pladis is a global snack company formed through a series of acquisitions by Turkey's Yildiz Holding. In 2008, Yildiz bought Godiva Chocolates from Campbell Soup Company for $850 million. Six years later, in 2014, Yildiz purchased DeMet's Candy Company for $221 million, bringing the Flipz and Turtles brands under its umbrella. That same year, Yildiz also acquired United Biscuits, the parent company of McVitie's, which pushed the firm into the position of the world's third-largest biscuit and cookie maker. Beyond these major brands, pladis also owns Go Ahead, Koninklijke Verkade (which includes Verkade and Sultana), and Biskrem. Another key brand in the portfolio is Ülker Biscuits, a Turkish food and beverage label that operates in 80 countries and produces biscuits and confectionery.

United Biscuits, home to McVitie's, is a leading snack brand in the UK and Europe and ranks among the top five food brands in Britain. In February 2016, United Biscuits introduced McVitie's Digestive Nibbles, a bite-sized version of the classic biscuit. The following January, McVitie's launched a thinner chocolate digestive, marketed as a healthier option. By May 2017, pladis announced plans to bring McVitie's biscuits to the US market in 2018. Jaffa Cakes, part of the McVitie's line, was reformulated in 2017. Other products under the McVitie's umbrella include Hobnobs, Rich Tea, Penguins, Jacob's cream crackers, Carr's water biscuits, Crawford's, Meredith and Drew, and go ahead!.

Godiva, a premium chocolate maker founded in Belgium in 1926, is sold by pladis through grocery channels. At the May 2017 Sweet & Snacks Expo in Chicago, pladis unveiled Godiva Masterpieces, individually wrapped candies based on the three best-selling case pieces from Godiva boutiques. This line first appeared in Costco stores. Around the same time, pladis announced a standardized chocolate recipe for Godiva, returning to the original Belgian formula from 1926. In September 2017, Godiva Masterpieces launched in the UK, with a partnership placing them in Sainsbury's stores. Pladis also arranged for the Masterpieces line to be sold in supermarkets across the UK, North America, China, Turkey, Sweden, Saudi Arabia, and other countries.