Foundation of Emlichheimer Kartoffelfabrik AG

Initial production of potato starch and dextrin products begins.

Modernization of starch and dextrin factories / renaming in Emsland-Stärke Hunekuhl & Co. KG

In the 1940s and 50s, the starch and dextrin factories continue to be modernized and were renamed Emsland-Stärke Hunekuhl & Co. KG. In addition to potato flour and dextrins, glucose, dry potato pulp and special starches are produced.

Increases in production and exceeding the 100,000 ton threshold

In the coming years, the company invests heavily in the Emlichheim site and the factory experiences enormous increases in production. In 1967, the quantity of potatoes processed exceeds the 100,000 ton threshold.

Acquisition of three potato starch factories in Germany

Until the early 90s, the Emsland-Stärke GmbH acquired over three potato starch factories in Germany, where increases in production and considerably improved starch quality were made possible and water consumption was also reduced.

New investments such as a new GIG-evaporation system follow.

The Golßener Stärkefabrik GmbH, Kyritzer Stärke GmbH and Nordstärke GmbH subsidiaries merge in 1997 to form the Emsland-Stärke GmbH. The first partnerships were established abroad to be able to continue to compete as a leader internationally.

Construction of the first starch silos / newly founded holding company "Emsland-Starke GmbH"

The construction of the first starch silos begins that same year.
In the 70s, the European starch industry is booming and the newly founded holding company "Emsland-Starke GmbH" hits record figures. The success is not only a result of the processing volumes and investments, but also of the expansion of the products, such as extracting protein from potato juice.

In 1979, the following was produced:
67,000 tons of potato starch, 3,000 tons of potato protein, 14,000 tons of wheat starch, 1,600 tons of wheat gluten, 69,000 tons of starch derivatives, approximately 100,000 tons of wet pulp.

The export share already totaled 54 %.

Expansion the sphere of competence

On April 01 2000, Emsland-Stärke took over the production as well as the distribution of potato flakes and granules for the industrial customers of CPC Bestfoods Deutschland, whereupon Emsland Food was newly established.

Emsland-Stärke was able to expand its offerings through the acquisition. In the future, Emsland-Stärke is able to meet customer needs even more than before as the only provider of potato starch, potato flakes and potato granules.

The other areas of application in the starch industry also underwent continuous improvements. This led to Emsland-Stärke winning the textile prize for the best products and services in 2000. With its increasing demands on quality and hygiene, Emsland Stärke introduced its quality and hygiene management in 2001.

In the following years, Emsland-Stärke formed a global distribution network. Representative offices were founded in Asia, South America, the USA and Turkey. The entire material and goods flow is coordinated by Emsland-Stärke Logistics GmbH & Co. KG, a 100 % subsidiary of Emsland-Stärke.

Expanding the product range including pea starch / reconstruction R&D

In addition to the raw material of potatoes, processing peas also began in 2004 at Emlichheim. This resulted in the Emsland-Stärke establishing a second foothold and expanding the product range to include pea starch and pea protein and pea isolate byproducts. In addition, the production of nutritional fiber based on peas was added in the years to follow.

2004 showed record harvests with 1.7 million tons of potatoes, which had an average of 18.4 % starch content. Emsland-Stärke also received the matrix certification according to DIN EN ISO 9001:2000.

As a global company, Emsland-Stärke and all its subsidiaries have since been represented together as pioneers under the Emsland Group umbrella name with the international slogan "using nature to create". The focus on quality at the highest level is consistently visualized and communicated externally.

In 2006, the research laboratory was converted and rebuilt for around 1 million euro to fulfill the prerequisites for specific, application-oriented development.

Continuously representation at the Food ingredients Europe

The Emsland Group is constantly striving to be represented as far and wide as possible, which resulted in the successful participation at Food Ingredients Europe in Paris in 2005 and 2011, in London 2007 and in Frankfurt in 2009 and 2013. In the coming years, the Emsland Group is planning to participate in trade fairs in mainly the field of food.

Quality and hygiene management and new liquid adhesive facility

In 2009, quality and hygiene management was merged with the areas of environmental management, occupational safety as well as health and energy management to create an "integrated management system". Certification for the environmental management system was created according to DIN EN ISO 14001 as a result of this.

Climate protection is an important issue at the Emsland Group. Therefore, an energy supply at the Emsland Group that is geared toward the future is made possible by a new bioenergy power plant at the Emlichheim site. This is used for securing the energy supply and reducing energy costs.

At the end of March 2009, the new liquid adhesive facility for producing adhesives for the packaging market went into operation at the main plant in Emlichheim.

Agreement to form a joint venture, named SOLAM GmbH.

On September 01, 2010, Lyckeby and Emsland Group signed an agreement to establish a joint venture named SOLAM GmbH. The joint venture was created to specialize in the development and marketing of starches for the paper and cardboard industry.

Main shareholder of Mecklenburg Kartoffelveredlung GmbH

At the beginning of the new 2013/2014 fiscal year, Emsland-Stärke GmbH in Emlichheim – a company of the Emsland Group – became the main shareholder of Mecklenburg Kartoffelveredlung GmbH in Hagenow. With its three plants, Emsland Food GmbH is the European market leader for producing dried potato products.
This is followed by a relaunch of the ‚Mecklenburger Küche‘ brand.

Opening of the new innovation center in Emlichheim

In 2014, Emsland puts Germany's first straw thermal power plant into operation with the BEKW bioenergy power plant. The main customer is Emsland-Stärke GmbH.

On October 29, 2014, the gates to the new innovation center open at the Emlichheim plant. The Emsland Innovation Germany research and development center is the linchpin for innovative development throughout the entire Group and is also a focal point for the many national and international contacts. The innovation center is where the globally active Emsland Group connects its nearby locations with its branches from around the globe to establish creative and productive exchanges. All ideas and innovations are in line with the guiding principle "using nature to create".

Also in 2014, the company opened Emsland Asia Food Innovation in Bangkok, Thailand.

New potato receiving area

The commissioning of the new flake production line coincided with the 2014/2015 potato campaign. A new potato receiving area was added as part of the new plant access way. It will be used explicitly for the food sector and will meet the applicable food standards. This will allow the potatoes to be delivered, stored and processed separately. Initial production volume was around 13,000 tons of flakes, which corresponds to roughly 60,000 tons of potatoes. This, along with the production from Cloppenburg and Hagenow, will allow the Emsland Group to enter its next campaign with additional strength and as the world’s largest potato flake producer.

With a new logo into the future

The Emsland Group began the year 2015 with a new logo. As a professional supplier of solutions in the area of food innovation, retail and food service, technical specialties and pet food, the Emsland Group has become established worldwide. Udo Hinkelmann, Peter Höning and Gerrit-Jan Wesselink are a competent management team at the helm of the Group. The individual and creative product range, comprehensive expertise and customer-oriented service has laid a solid foundation for the coming years.

A global company has been made out of the once small potato factory and shaped by the company's philosophy "using nature to create". The harvested raw materials are processed into innovative, trendsetting quality products in tune with nature. The most important raw material in this case is the potato, whose starch is the basis for the Group's success. Due to its individual and creative range of products, expertise and customer-oriented service, the Emsland Group has established itself on the world market and is not only Germany’s largest producer of potato starch, but is also a global leader in the production of refined starch products, proteins, fibers, potato flakes and granules.

Emsland Group expand circle of management

With the turn of the year the Emsland Group has expanded his circle of management. As of January 1, 2018, Dr. Hinkelmann will be steping down from his position as Managing Director (CEO) of Emsland-Stärke GmbH. We are pleased to announce, however, that he will continue to support the company as the Managing Director of the investment company Emsland-Stärke AG alongside Dr. Hausmann.

The new management team of Emsland-Stärke GmbH, which already includes Mr. Gerrit-Jan Wesselink, future Spokesman of the Management Board (CEO), will be expanded through the addition of Mr. Stefan Hannemann (COO) and Mr. Christian Kemper (CSO). The two new managing directors, bring with them their many years of expertise in to the management of the company. Lastly Mr. Kemper was the Sales Director of Emsland Group, bringing in decades of experience within the international starch market. In his last position at Emsland Group Mr. Hannemann was responsible for the Operations Starch, disposing comprehensive knowledge of the whole production and process flows.

We are confident that together with our employees, customers and owners we will be able to ensure that the Emsland Group consolidates and develops the position that it has achieved over the last three years.

New skyline in Emlichheim

The Emsland Group has completed construction of a 750 m2 building with a height of 33m that holds new roller drying units with autoclaves. Nicknamed “WaltrAut,” the facility was designed for the production of plant-based products for the construction additive industry, such as wallpaper paste, tile adhesives, starch ethers and environmental products.

Each year, the production complex processes starch from more than 60,000 tons of potatoes, coming from approximately 1400 Hectares of farmland, or covering the space of approximately 2000 soccer fields. Over 500 tons of sellable product have already been successfully produced while tests in the new facility. Products are continuously being tested in the R&D facility and applied to the large-scale production during the current test phase, with the next test planned for January/February 2022. The plant is planned to be fully functional, operating 24/7, by the beginning of 2022, with the commissioning and optimization phase coming to completion the following summer.
The investment in WaltrAut represents the beginning of a long-term investment campaign at the Emsland Group, called EmVision 2030, in which the Emlichheim site will continue to be modernized for producing modified starches for special applications worldwide.