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Farewell with sugar beet: Anklam's sugar factory celebrates Matthias Sauer
Matthias Sauer, long-time boss of the Anklam sugar factory, is retiring. Festive farewell with a gift in Bluthsluster Park and records in sugar beet processing.
Farewell with sugar beet: Anklam's sugar factory celebrates Matthias Sauer
In Anklam, where the sugar beets turn into gold, Matthias Sauer and the Anklam sugar factory part ways. After 30 years with the company, 15 of which as managing director, Sauer is retiring. His staff came up with a very special gift for him: an artistically forged sugar beet on a granite slab, which was presented to him with a wheel loader - not without reason, after all, production this year was record-breaking.
The Anklam sugar factory, the only one in the entire Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, processed a total of 1.9 million tons of sugar beet during the sugar beet campaign from September 10th to February 12th. This is not only a fantastic achievement, but also breaks all harvest records in the company's history. An impressive amount of around 300,000 tons of sugar was produced from these beets and the factory impressively demonstrated that it is a real beacon in the region. [Süddeutsche] reports that on many days up to 15,600 tons of beets were processed, with the average sugar content being 17.7 percent.
Appreciation and challenges
During the ceremonial farewell in Bluthsluster Park, numerous speakers had their say. Economics Minister Dr. Wolfgang Blank praised Sauer for his calm and level-headed manner, which contributed significantly to the success of the factory. Anklam's mayor Michael Galander also emphasized the close cooperation between the city and the sugar factory. Thomas Tiedemann from the Sugar Beet Growers Association described Sauer as “tough but fair”, while Paul Mesters, former CEO of the Cosun Beet Company, praised his energy and vision.
Successor Michael Engel will now have to face the challenges caused in particular by volatile markets and climate change. This will show whether he has as good a hand as his predecessor. Sauer will support his wife during his first vacation trip in September, while Engel leads the first campaign as the new managing director.
Sugar production in focus
The sugar industry, to which the Anklamer factory belongs, is struggling with major challenges. There are only four large sugar companies left in Germany, after hundreds of smaller companies faded into the background in the past. According to information from [Wikipedia], sales in the German sugar industry have been falling for years; per capita consumption is around 33.2 kilograms per year. This makes product quality and efficient processing an important challenge that Engel must now tackle.
The successful conclusion of the sugar beet campaign and the farewell to Matthias Sauer mark a poignant moment for the Anklam sugar factory. Looking to the future, it becomes clear that not only sugar beets are processed here, but also the commitment and tradition that are rooted in this region.