Libeert (previously known as Italo Suisse and ISIS) is a Belgian chocolate producer that was founded by Joseph Dequeker in 1923. The company produces more than 5,000 tons of chocolate annually, with a revenue of roughly €35 million.[2][3]
| Formerly |
|
|---|---|
| Company type | Private |
| Industry | Food processing |
| Founded | 1923, Izegem |
| Founder | Joseph Dequeker |
| Headquarters | Av. des Châteaux 107A, 7780 Comines-Warneton , |
Number of locations | 1 |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Woolie, Mr Nibbles, Deli Dino, Rudolf, Sinterklaas, Sinaas, Speculoos, Caffe Latte |
Number of employees | ~200[1] |
| Website | www |
History
editEarly years
editAfter visiting Italy and Switzerland and learning about chocolate artisanship, Joseph Dequeker founded Italo Suisse in 1923 in Izegem, Belgium. Supposedly, many locals knew of it as the "Het Chocoladefabriekske" ("The Little Chocolate Factory" in Dutch). In the 1930s, the operation was moved slightly westward from Izegem to Roeselare.[4]
Location move
editAt one point, Libeert moved its headquarters southward into the border municipality of Comines-Warneton.
Name changes
editIn 2013, as Italo Suisse, the company changed its name to ISIS, an acronym of the previous name repeated twice and after the Egyptian goddess Isis,[5] as people mistook them as an Italian or Swiss company due to their ambiguous name.[6] However, when the Islamic State gained international attention, the company suffered a drop in sales in the Anglophone World, causing them to lose roughly between €50,000 and €100,000.[5][2] In 2014, they issued the new name of Libeert, after the family that owns the company.[3][7]
References
edit- ^ "Libeert Company Profile: Valuation & Investors | PitchBook". pitchbook.com. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
- ^ a b Bartunek, Robert-Jan (23 October 2014). "Belgium chocolate maker ISIS needs to change its name again". Reuters. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
- ^ a b Tharoor, Ishaan (24 October 2014). "Belgian chocolate company is latest to decide ISIS might not be such a good name". The Washington Post. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
- ^ "De Libeert Familie". www.libeert.com. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
- ^ a b Cebrián, Belén Domínguez (27 February 2015). "Cacao por un chocolate" [Cocoa for a chocolate]. El País (in Spanish).
- ^ Raedt, Kim De. "Belgische chocolatier verandert van naam door negatieve associatie met ISIS" [Belgian chocolatier changes name due to negative association with ISIS]. Het Nieuwsblad (in Flemish). Retrieved 13 February 2022.
- ^ Moodley, Kiran (10 November 2014). "Belgium chocolate maker ISIS changes its name after drop in sales". The Independent. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
