"The partnership will allow Nestle to benefit from the know-how and artistic talent of one of the world's leading luxury chocolate makers, while Pierre Marcolini will gain access to Nestle's global experience," the company said. Created in 1995, the Pierre Marcolini company, named after the owner, manufactures and sells its own-brand luxury truffles in Belgium, France, Kuwait, Japan and the US. According to Nestle, the partnership will allow Pierre Marcolini to expand its network of boutiques, while in return the Belgian company will help Nestle create more brands of luxury chocolate, adding to premium chocolates such as Perugina, Baci and Nestle Noir. "Pierre will continue to lead his company as an independent and autonomous operation, and Nestle will join its board," Nestle said. Both parties declined to reveal any financial details of the deal. According to Euromonitor, Nestle is currently the second largest confectionery company in the world, after Cadbury, with 9.1 per cent of the market share. For the first nine months of the 2007 tax year Nestle confectionery sales rose 5.4 per cent in terms of organic growth to reach CHF8.4bn (€5), attributed by the company to the growing trend for premium dark chocolate bars such as Nestle Noir and Perugina Nero. The company has also made several successful acquisitions in emerging markets in recent years, including Russian chocolate manufacturer Ruzskaya Confectionery Factory (RKF) last month. According to Packaged Facts, premium and luxury products now account for around 25 per cent of the global market.
