Ali Group, Welbilt Merger Complete

Ali Group has officially acquired fellow foodservice equipment manufacturer Welbilt.

Today the company announced the completion of the transaction, which comes just over a year after the industry leaders entered into a merger agreement and marks the beginning of the next chapter of growth, says Ali Group.

“Welbilt brings to Ali Group a rich heritage, talented team and an expansive portfolio of industry-leading foodservice solutions. With greater scale, an enhanced worldwide footprint and a highly complementary and comprehensive portfolio of premier brands across the entire foodservice value chain, we are well positioned to capitalize on the significant growth opportunities ahead,” says Filippo Berti, Ali Group chairman and CEO, in a press release.

Courtesy of Ali Group.

Ali Group now has named 38-year industry veteran Kevin Clark CEO of Welbilt. Clark will manage Welbilt’s current portfolio of companies, including Cleveland, Convotherm, Crem, Delfield, Frymaster, Garland, Kolpak, Lincoln, Merco, Merrychef and Multiplex.

Clark’s resume includes positions with Wasserstrom Co., Middleby Marshall, Wells Bloomfield, The Delfield Co. and Standex Cooking Solutions Group. He first joined Ali Group in 2015 as president of Scotsman Ice Systems and, in 2019, transitioned to the role of president of ACP. During his tenure at both companies, Ali Group said he oversaw new and successful initiatives on the hot and cold sides of foodservice equipment.

With the merger complete, Welbilt’s stock has stopped trading and is no longer listed on the New York Stock Exchange.