Lotus Bakeries win prestigious French prize

Karel Boone,head of the Belgian baked goods manufacturer Lotus Bakeries NV, Lembeke, accepted the prestigious French award, theTrophée de l’Investisseur Ami de l’Esprit Alimentaire,in Paris on behalf of the company. The award honours the Lotus Bakeries contribution to the French food industry.The wafer and baked goods specialists took over French company Biscuiterie Le Glazik in Briec-del’Odet in 1989, then the Biscuiterie Vander in Comines in 1990 in order to strengthen their position on the French market for baked goods,speculatius biscuits and wafers. Lotus Bakeries sales in France today are worth €30m, and €10 of that sum is generated by sales of baked goods made in France. The number of Lotus employees in France had risen from 113 in 1990 to 130 by the end of 2003.€ 1 m a year has been invested in facilities over the past ten years. Changes in Executive Committee Lotus Bakeries also announced that Jan Boone (33) would be joining the Executive Committee of Lotus Bakeries as General Manager Corporate Services in May 2005. Jan Boone, his father Matthieu Boone – the present COO – and Jan Vander Stichele will together assume the current responsibilities of CEO Karel Boone, who from mid- May will hold the position of executive chairman.Matthieu Boone will take over as new CEO, Jan Vander Stichele will succeed him as COO.