Saint Louis Sucre History

The origins of Saint Louis Sucre in Roye

The first sugar factory was founded in Roye, in the Somme.

The development of sugar beet in the Somme

A number of sugar factories are developing in the region. Most farms in the Somme already grow wheat, maize or flax, but farmers are beginning to experiment with growing sugar beet. The Somme is one of the French departments where sugar beet growing is particularly prosperous. A favourable climate, suitable soils and the expertise of local farmers have all contributed to making the Somme the cradle of sugar production.

Etrépagny sugar factory

The Étrépagny sugar factory was founded in 1864 by Arthur Le Boeuf, an engineer specialising in the sugar industry. This sugar factory played a significant role in the development of beet sugar production in Normandy. This sugar factory played a significant role in the development of beet sugar production in Normandy. As a result, Normandy has become one of France’s leading beet sugar-producing regions, thanks to its favourable climate and well-adapted soils.

The Étrépagny sugar factory has also contributed to the growth of the sugar industry in France, strengthening the country’s position as one of Europe’s leading beet sugar producers. Beet sugar production thus became a major industry in France and continued to develop throughout the 19th century.

The birth of the Saint Louis brand

The Saint Louis cane sugar refineries are founded in Marseille. The Saint-Louis district, which gave them their name, is one of Marseille’s historic districts and a major industrial centre due to its role in the sugar industry. This is how the Saint Louis brand was born, and how the date 1865 became the date of creation of our brand of cane sugar, then beet sugar.

The start of exports

Sugar exports are finding their way to new international markets. Demand for sugar is growing not only in Europe, but also in the United States, Asia and other parts of the world.

The Saint Louis brand starts exporting to North Africa and the Persian Gulf, and sets up refineries in Morocco and Madagascar. It became an emblematic brand in these regions thanks to its logo depicting a reclining lion. It is synonymous with top quality sugar and is becoming very popular with foreign consumers. The brand has thus become a major player on the international sugar industry scene.

The creation of “Général Sucrière” group

Following a need to structure and consolidate the business in a more coherent way, the Général Sucrière Group was created from a number of earlier companies. Over the years, sugar factories in Hauts-de-France and Normandy have also been included. Marketing is carried out by a new dedicated subsidiary, Eurosucre.

The birth of Saint Louis Sucre

The Südzucker Group, a German company and a major player in the European sugar industry, acquires Saint Louis Sucre to strengthen its presence on the French market and expand its beet sugar production capacity. With the sugar market becoming increasingly competitive, this acquisition is part of the consolidation of the sugar industry in Europe.

The development of packaging in Roye

Saint Louis Sucre is building a new packaging plant in the immediate vicinity of its Roye sugar refinery. Over the years, the plant continued to grow, and various workshops were commissioned. The plant was inaugurated in 2009. Roye Conditionnement becomes a flagship packaging plant for Südzucker and Saint Louis Sucre, and will become the company’s headquarters in 2022.