- CEO
- Niels Heinrich Pörksen
- Full Time Employees
- 18,188
- Sector
- Consumer non-durables
- Industry
- Food: specialty/candy
- Address
- Maximilianstrasse 10 Mannheim BW Germany 68165
- IPO Date
- Aug 3, 1998
- Business
- Südzucker AG, founded in 1926 and headquartered in Mannheim, Germany, is a leading multinational company engaged in the processing of agricultural raw materials with a primary focus on sugar production and related product segments. The company operates through five main business segments: Sugar, Special Products, CropEnergies, Starch, and Fruit. Südzucker manufactures and sells beet sugar and sugar specialties, starch products, bioethanol and renewable energies through CropEnergies, as well as fruit preparations for the food industry. It also produces animal feed and other by-products from agricultural raw materials for both food and non-food industries. Südzucker's operations are predominantly based in Europe, with around 100 production sites worldwide. The group is the number one supplier of sugar products in Europe, processing over 30 million tonnes of renewable agricultural raw materials annually and generating revenues exceeding €10 billion.
In recent major developments, Südzucker completed the full acquisition of CropEnergies AG in early 2024, moving to delist the company from the Frankfurt Stock Exchange to consolidate its renewable ethanol and bioenergy business under full ownership. Südzucker also launched BeetKraft®, an innovative high-quality fiber material made from sugar beet co-products, aimed at the paper and packaging industry, with industrial production commencing in late 2024. Additionally, Südzucker sold its sauces and dressing division in 2025, signaling a strategic focus shift towards its core agricultural processing businesses. The company advanced its sustainability efforts by producing green gas from sugar beet pulp at its Strzelin sugar factory in Poland. Südzucker continues to enhance its product portfolio aligned with trends such as organic, vegan, and plant-based foods within its Special Products segment. These moves underline Südzucker’s strategic expansion into renewable energies and sustainable industrial products beyond traditional sugar manufacturing while maintaining its leading role in Europe’s sugar market.