Saint Louis Sucre History

Explore the key moments that have helped shape Saint Louis Sucre’s expertise and know-how over the decades.

Explore the key moments that have helped shape Saint Louis Sucre’s expertise and know-how over the decades.

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Click on the dates below to discover the history of Saint Louis Sucre, from 1830 to the present day.

1831

The origins of Saint Louis Sucre in Roye

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

1830-1860

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, corn 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 flourishing. A favourable climate, suitable soils and the expertise of local farmers have all contributed to making the Somme the cradle of sugar production.

1864

Etrépagny sugar factory

The Étrépagny sugar factory was founded in 1864 by Arthur Le Boeuf, an engineer specialized 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. It was fitted with the most advanced technologies of the time to extract sugar from beet efficiently. As a result, Normandy has become one of France’s leading beet sugar-producing regions, thanks to its favourable climate and well-adapted soils.

1864 : Fondation de la sucrerie d’Étrépagny
1865

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.

1865 : La naissance de la marque Saint Louis
1894-1928

The start of exports

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.

Le début des exportations
1968-1996

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. Commercialisation is carried out by a new dedicated subsidiary, Eurosucre.

1968-1996 : La création du groupe général Sucrière
1998-2000

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. The sugar market is increasingly competitive, and this acquisition is part of the consolidation of the sugar industry in Europe.

1998-2000 : La naissance de Saint Louis Sucre
Since 2007

The development of packaging in Roye

Saint Louis Sucre is building a new packaging plant in close proximity to the 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.