Sodrugestvo Finalizes Joint Venture With CAROL Cooperative in Brazil

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LUXEMBOURG and NEW YORK, Dec. 8, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Sodrugestvo Group has closed on a joint venture with CAROL, one of Brazil's largest farmers' cooperatives.  The new entity, called Carol-Sodru S.A., will considerably strengthen the company's presence in the Brazilian market.

Sodrugestvo owns a 55 percent stake in the joint venture with the intention to acquire the remaining shares over the next few years.  Fernando Lauria has been appointed CEO of Carol-Sodru.

"Much of the soybean production in the Americas comes from Brazil, and CAROL, which has been at the forefront of the Brazilian cooperative movement since the 1960s, is one of the most important and respected players in the industry," said Stephane Frappat, CEO of Sodrugestvo.  "As we continue to look for new strategic growth opportunities – both geographically and in terms of our product and process offerings – it is fitting that we expand our presence in the largest economy in South America."

Sodrugestvo has committed to provide BRL200 million in working capital to the joint-venture for its first year of operation.  Carol-Sodru's objective is to originate 3,000,000 metric tons of soybeans in the central northern region of Brazil by 2015.

"Two years ago, we decided to develop our presence in Brazil both for the origination and processing of soybeans and other commodities, and to achieve access to one of the most dynamic markets in the world," continued Mr. Frappat.  "We are confident that we could not have found a better opportunity to begin our industrial operations in Brazil on such a reasonable scale.  Sodrugestvo is proud to have been selected by CAROL as its partner during its restructuring process."

Carol-Sodru will operate 14 silos as well as 31 fertilizer, seed and agro-chemicals distribution centers in the states of Sao Paulo, Goias, Minas Gerais and Tocantins, three soybean seed selection units and one crushing plant with a daily capacity of 1,250 metric tons.

About Sodrugestvo Group

Sodrugestvo Group (www.sodrugestvo.com), founded in 1994, is a rapidly growing agro-industrial company serving global markets. The company is vertically integrated with three business units - specialized infrastructure (including deep-water sea ports), logistics (including railcars and storage facilities) and processing facilities (for the production of proteins and oils from vegetal and animal commodities). In 2010, Sodrugestvo crushed more than 1.1 million tons of soybeans and rapeseed, making it a leading player in Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. The company is also expanding into commodities trading and direct origination capabilities.

Headquartered in Luxembourg, the company has 32 facilities located in nine countries including Russia, Denmark, Brazil, the United States and several Eastern European nations.  With consolidated sales of $857 million in its fiscal year ending June 30, 2010, Sodrugestvo has enjoyed average annual growth of 15 percent or more for the last 10 years. Sodrugestvo employs 900 and is privately held. 

This release is available online in the Feintuch Communications media room located at www.feintuchcommunications.com.

SOURCE Sodrugestvo Group