FMO has signed a USD 75 mln senior syndicated facility for Ecom Agroindustrial, the Switzerland based holding company for the Ecom Group, one of the world’s largest traders and processors of coffee, cocoa and cotton. Besides FMO (USD25mln), CDC and DEG participated for equal amounts.
Ecom will use these funds to finance inventories and suppliers in their African and Central American operations, in support of their inclusive business model that focusses on long term relationships with smallholder producers in emerging markets.
About ECOM
Ecom Agroindustrial Corp. Ltd is a global commodity trading and processing company focusing on coffee, cotton, and cocoa in major producing and consuming countries, with ancillary agricultural operations in oilseeds and hogs (pigs). Ecom is one of the top three merchants in coffee, one of the largest coffee millers in the world, and amongst the top five merchants in both cotton and cocoa. The company turnover in 2011 was in excess of $4 billion and in that year handled approximately 11 million bags of coffee, 2 million bales of cotton and 250,000 tons of cocoa, making it a top tier participant in each of its core businesses. With over 150 years of market experience, Ecom Agroindustrial Corp. is committed to responsible leadership within the soft commodities industry. Its global operations rely on its extensive knowledge and experience in supply chain improvement, risk management and client focused distribution to create a valuable and profitable environment for our suppliers, customers, shareholders and employees.
About FMO
FMO (the Netherlands Development Finance Company) is the Dutch development bank. FMO supports sustainable private sector growth in developing and emerging markets by investing in ambitious entrepreneurs. FMO believes a strong private sector leads to economic and social development, empowering people to employ their skills and improve their quality of life. FMO focuses on three sectors that have high development impact: financial institutions, energy, and agribusiness, food & water. With an investment portfolio of EUR 6.6 billion, FMO is one of the largest European bilateral private sector development banks. www.fmo.nl
