News Rebranding
New name Suiker Unie: Cosun Beet Company
Suiker Unie will be called Cosun Beet Company. This new name was unveiled on Thursday afternoon by CEO Paul Mesters at the head office in Dinteloord. According to the Cosun division, the rebranding is part of the new strategy and course of the more than 100-year-old sugar producer.
According to Mesters, the name fits with the changes that the sugar company has undergone in recent years. After the disappearance of the European sugar quota, the Cosun Beet Company operates more and more on the European and world markets. "The new strategy and name respond to changing consumer needs and new market opportunities."
The company generates about 30 to 40% of our turnover abroad, continues Mesters. "We have a factory in Anklam, Germany, where, in addition to sugar, we also produce bioethanol, which we bring to the Netherlands for use in disinfection gels. We are the largest producer of green gas in the Netherlands. And we try to maximize the value of the sugar beet," says Mesters. "Then it's time for an international name."
No waste streams
In addition to producing sugar, Cosun Beet Company wants to profile itself more as a supplier of nutritional solutions. In addition to sugar, the company also obtains food, animal feed, protein from beet leaves, biobased solutions and green energy from, among other things, sugar beet. The company wants to grow in this direction. "At the moment 80 to 90% of our turnover consists of the sale of sugar. In about 30 years that should be 50%," says Mesters.
The presentation of the new name and logo, which is related to the new logo that parent company Cosun presented last winter, was a sober affair due to the consequences of the corona virus. Cosun uses Beet Company to adjust the name and logo on, for example, the factories, trucks and other communications. When asked, Mesters did not want to specify exactly how much money is involved.
Black numbers
Mesters expects to be able to close the current financial year, which runs until 31 December, with a profit for Cosun Beet Company. The corona crisis also leaves its mark on the sugar group, but the CEO calls the drop in demand of about 10% acceptable. Certainly in view of the extremely precarious situation in which sister company Aviko finds itself due to the largely disappearance of the French fries market.
He is concerned, however, at the moment in beet cultivation in 2020. There are major differences in the state of the crop on the plots throughout the country. "Especially very distressing for growers now that they have the bad luck for the third year that they are struggling with drought." Mesters thinks it is too early to make a concrete statement about the size of the beet harvest. "But it is already clear that this is unfortunately not the best harvest we are going to get."
Eric the Thrush
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