WASHINGTON — National Sugar Marketing L.L.C. (N.S.M.) announced on March 4 the addition of Southern Minnesota Beet Sugar Cooperative (S.M.B.S.C.) as its newest member. About a week earlier, The Michigan Sugar Co. announced the purchase of AmCane Sugar L.L.C., a producer of specialty cane sugar products.
S.M.B.S.C., based in Renville, Minn., is a grower cooperative with processing plants in Brawley, Calif., and Renville, and produces about 600,000 tons of refined sugar annually.
“By joining N.S.M., Southern Minnesota will deliver their refined sugar to customers with the highest efficiency and the lowest cost to serve,” said Bill Smith, president and chief executive officer of N.S.M. “Adding S.M.B.S.C. as a member strengthens N.S.M.’s ability to serve the nation’s sugar supply needs on a very competitive and cost effective basis. This addition enhances N.S.M.’s position as a national supplier and greatly improves our ability to reach new markets.”
N.S.M. was formed in 2012 as a jointly-owned marketing company by its two original members, The Amalgamated Sugar Co. L.L.C., based in Boise, Idaho, (grower-owned by The Snake River Sugar Co.) and Sucden Americas Corp., based in Miami, (a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Sucden Group). Amalgamated operates three beet sugar processing plants in Idaho and is the second largest beet sugar processor in the United States, producing more than 900,000 tons of refined sugar annually. Sucden Group, based in Paris, is a major sugar trading company with a world-wide presence of 8 million to 10 million tons traded annually.
The Michigan Sugar Co., the third largest beet sugar producer in the United States, will expand into specialty cane sugar products with the announced purchase of AmCane Sugar L.L.C. The purchase, which includes AmCane’s refinery in Taylor, Mich., and packaging facility in Toledo, Ohio, is expected to increase Michigan Sugar’s sales volume by about 15% and revenue by more than $60 million. David Rosenzweig, AmCane chief executive officer, will remain through a two-year transition period, according to a Reuters’ report. AmCane currently is involved in litigation in the Court of International Trade over the 2014 trade agreement signed by the United States and Mexico.
