Nutresa Finalizes Acquisition of Ecuador’s La Universal to Expand Chocolate Business

Grupo Nutresa officially closed the acquisition of the Ecuadorian confectionery company La Universal on October 30, 2026, integrating the 137-year-old brand into its chocolate business following regulatory clearance from Ecuador’s Superintendencia de Competencia Económica, Las2orillas reported.

Regulatory Approval Clears the Path for Integration

The transaction follows a purchase agreement signed in June 2026 by Grupo Nutresa for 100 percent of the shares of Universal Sweet Industries, the legal name for La Universal. The seller was Bia Culinary and Snacks Investments, a Madrid-domiciled firm that held the asset since 2018. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed by Nutresa or the seller. Public financial records filed with Ecuador’s Superintendencia de Compañías previously showed the company with sales of $65.2 million and losses of $8.4 million, though reporting lapsed in recent years.

Jaime Gilinski, president of Nutresa, stated that adding La Universal opens a distinct phase in the group’s international expansion. La integración de La Universal a nuestro Negocio de Chocolates abre un nuevo capítulo en la expansión internacional de Grupo Nutresa, Gilinski said, according to LaRepublica.co. He added that the group plans investments to grow Ecuadorian brands locally and across international markets where Nutresa operates.

Combining Centuries of Confectionery Heritage

La Universal was founded in Guayaquil in 1889. By 1911, the factory launched core brands including Manicho, Huevitos, and Cocoa Universal, later expanding with Menta Glacial and Leche y Miel caramels. The company passed to Grupo Nobis in 2005 before its 2018 sale to Bia.

Within Nutresa, the acquisition lands under the Compañía Nacional de Chocolates. Juan Fernando Castañeda, president of the chocolate division, noted the historical combination of the two operations. Hoy se unen 243 años de tradición y experiencia chocolatera: los 106 de la Compañía Nacional de Chocolates y los 137 de La Universal, Castañeda said, as reported by El Universo. The integration plan will be defined in the coming months, with operational continuity set as the immediate priority for employees, clients, and suppliers in Ecuador.

Nutresa Expands in Ecuador as Gilinski Wealth Grows

The acquisition expands Nutresa’s physical footprint in Ecuador, where it previously sold brands. For the third quarter of 2026, Grupo Nutresa posted a net income of 730,594 million pesos, roughly $227.1 million, marking an 8.3 percent increase over the same period in the previous year.