Italian bakery group Morato has completed the acquisition of CEA Italia and Jaus Bakery, bringing the combined business to more than €500 million in consolidated revenues, 19 production sites and over 1,800 employees across Italy, Spain, France and Germany.

The enlarged group produces more than 180,000 tonnes of baked goods annually across 54 production lines covering 130,000 square metres of industrial floor space and holds leading positions across five categories: sandwich bread, crustless bread, bruschetta bread, buns, and now rustic and speciality breads, in addition to a gluten-free division operating from four dedicated sites.

CEA Italia and Jaus Bakery bring an industrial history of over 60 years, two German production facilities (in Weißenhorn, Bavaria, and Dinklage, Lower Saxony) and approximately 310 employees.

Their Daily Bread and Jaus brands extend Morato’s portfolio into baguettes and rustic breads, where the Italian-German group holds a recognised position in both the Italian and wider European market, and strengthen capacity in buns, sandwich bread and toast bread.

The acquisition broadens the group’s geographic reach in the DACH region, a market where Morato previously had limited direct production presence. The combination is intended to optimise distribution networks and support internationalisation based on local manufacturing rather than cross-border supply.

“The integration of CEA Italia and Jaus Bakery represents a decisive step in Morato Group’s growth journey, built over the years through industrial investment, innovation, digitalisation and external growth,”

said Stefano Maza, Chairman and CEO of Morato Group.

“Over the past eight years, with the support of Aliante Partners, we have completed 15 strategic acquisitions, achieving a CAGR of more than 30% over the same period.”

The group’s R&D function is organised across two streams, Mainstream and Healthy Food and will now draw on combined expertise from across the enlarged business. Sustainability is cited as an explicit factor in investment planning, with the intention to extend energy efficiency programmes across the wider production network following the merger.

Maza has confirmed he will continue as Chairman and CEO, with Marco Cersosimo remaining as Group CFO. Sergio Pitticco, from the CEA Italia and Jaus side, takes responsibility for the group’s Business Area including Sales, Marketing and R&D, while Fabio Zamboni assumes responsibility for Supply Chain.

The parent company, Morato Pane S.p.A., has also converted to Benefit Corporation status as part of the wider structural changes accompanying the transaction.

The group’s stated revenue target is €600 million, with a new international strategic partner set to join the ownership structure alongside existing shareholders.