Animal feed group De Heus has done well in 2021. Both turnover and profit rose to unprecedented heights, according to the group result that was recently filed with the Chamber of Commerce. It also shows that the animal feed giant is investing large sums to further expand its empire.
Turnover increased by 40% last year compared to 2020 to €4,2 billion. A factor that contributes largely to this is the sharply increased feed raw material prices. However, this is not at the expense of profitability. Net profit rose by 17% to a record €146 million. Profitability also increased significantly in 2020, just like in previous years. Despite the increase in profit, the dividend payment takes a big step back to €1 million. In 2020 this was still €40,3 million.
De Heus is the absolute leader in the compound feed world in terms of total turnover and profitability. The family business from Ede has continued to expand its turnover and profitability in recent years. Turnover in the Dutch home market last year amounted to just under €900 million, an increase of 25%. Within the European Union, turnover increased by approximately 35% to €1,61 billion. Activities outside Europe contribute most to turnover, which rose by more than 40% to €1,82 billion.
Major acquisitions
In 2021, De Heus certainly did not sit still when it comes to acquisitions. At the end of last year, De Heus took over the Vietnamese feed company Masan about. With the takeover, De Heus instantly adds thirteen compound feed factories and one premix factory, good for an annual production of 4 million tons. Coppens was purchased in the Netherlands and acquisitions or interests were also acquired in Belgium and Poland. A total of €690 million was invested from the cash flow for this purpose. The acquisition of Masan was partly financed through loans worth $1 billion, the annual report said. Bloomberg news agency previously reported that Masan was on the market for $1 billion.