ADM Cocoa’s expansion reflects Eastern European sales focus
Crop processing giant ADM is actively expanding its “global presence” in cocoa and chocolate manufacturing, as signalled last year on a European level by the acquisition of top German industrial chocolate and cocoa powder maker ADM Schokinaeg.
A spokeswoman for ADM Cocoa told FoodNavigator.com:“Chocolate and cocoa are a natural fit with ADM’s other food ingredients, since they add value to bakery, dairy, confectionery, cereals and snacks.”
“Since ADM produces oils, sweeteners, emulsifiers, flours, proteins, starches, cocoa, chocolate and more, we can help our customers create innovative finished food products as well as simply supply ingredients.”
New technical centres
ADM Cocoa has existing European cocoa processing plants to reflect major markets in Germany, Belgium, the UK and Netherlands.“In addition to these primary markets, we are currently focusing on sales in Eastern Europe, where the chocolate market is developing,” the spokeswoman said.
She added:“We are investing in ‘advantage centres’ in Europe and beyond, and want our cocoa and chocolate solutions to be industry leaders.”
A similar centre opened in Singapore this April to research formulations of cocoa and chocolate ingredients. It fulfils client needs for different flavour, texture and colour in bakery, beverage, confectionery and other applications.
Asked how many potential new European centres there would be, and where they would be based, the spokeswoman said that ADM Cocoa would issue a further announcement on this subject “shortly”.
Cocoa expertise
ADM Cocoa’s new technical appointments reflect the division’s efforts to expand its theatre of operations within Europe, and Eastern Europe in particular.
New senior chocolate and cocoa technologist Marek Jagusiak will be based at the cocoa divisions Szamotuly office in Poland, with Malgorzata Michalska joining as sales manager for Eastern Europe.
Sales managers Dmitri Derriks and Klaus Pfaller are new appointments for the Benelux countries and Germany respectively, while Norbert Wachter has been confirmed as German research and development manager
Rinus Heemskerk is now ADM Cocoa International technical director, based at the Koog aan de Zaan site in Holland. He has research and development expertise in the chocolate, cocoa, speciality fats and oils industries.
ADM’s cocoa division supplies cocoa powders, cocoa liquors and cocoa butters, and chocolate across six continents, with plants across Europe, Africa, North America, South America and Asia. Product lines include Ambrosia, deZaan and Merckens.
Based in Decatur, Illinois, ADM as a whole specialises in turning crops into renewable products for food, animal feed, chemical and energy purposes; it registered net sales of $69bn in 2009.
