VanRijn - KWS B.V. becomes KWS POTATO B.V.

The two partners of the international company for seed potatoes van Rijn – KWS B.V. have decided that KWS will take over the 50% shares of van Rijn as of April 1st, 2011.

KWS will intensify its activities in breeding, production and marketing of seed potatoes and form a 100 % subsidiary, KWS POTATO B.V., located in Emmeloord/The Netherlands.

Van Rijn will concentrate its activities on the core business: production, storage, logistics and international trade of ware potatoes, fruits and vegetables.

On July 1st, 2008 KWS and van Rijn established a worldwide 50:50 Joint Venture which has been active in breeding, production and marketing seed potatoes for the global market.

“We will go on to cooperate on a trustful and open basis and look for opportunities to realize synergies between our companies also in future,” the CEO of van Rijn, Aad van der Windt, mentioned after the negotiations were completed.

“After three years of fruitful cooperation and a successful set up of the Joint Venture we have decided to concentrate on our core competencies for KWS, breeding and for van Rijn, trading,” Peter Hofmann, Head of KWS Sugar Beet and Potato Division, added.

KWS will form a 100 % subsidiary named KWS POTATO B.V. as a Dutch company and relocate the headquarters from Poeldijk to Emmeloord, The Netherlands. Emmeloord is already the existing breeding center of van Rijn – KWS.

KWS will use its global network of research and breeding stations, its close connection to farmers and international sales force to intensify the potato activities within the next years. In fiscal year 2009/2010, the turnover of the Joint Venture amounted to approx. 25 million euros. Both partners have agreed not to disclose the purchase price of the 50% stake.

Aad van der Windt, the current CEO of van Rijn – KWS, will step down as per March 31st, 2011. The new CEO will be nominated by KWS.