Diemen, the Netherlands, January 11, 2008 – CSM intends to consolidate its bakery operations in Germany and France as part of its 3-S efficiency improvement program and to further strengthen the European-wide bakery organization.
In Germany, CSM will combine its artisan support staff (currently based in Bremen) with the Bingenbased support staff in Bingen, in order to optimize synergy within the organization. A key benefit of this move will be co-operation with the Innovation Center for Bakery Ingredients at Bingen. In addition a dedicated sales force will be developed for the artisan frozen product market to take advantage of growth opportunities in this market. This consolidation is expected to be completed by the end of 2008.
In France, CSM will discontinue production at the Creil-based facility, transferring it to other CSM locations in France and Germany. A letter of intent has been signed with a third party to take over the Creil facility and its work force.
All transfers will take place in a phased schedule to ensure uninterrupted supply and service to all customers.
CSM is the largest supplier of bakery products worldwide and is global market leader in lactic acid and lactic acid derivatives. CSM produces and distributes an extensive range of bakery products and ingredients for artisan and industrial bakeries and for in-store as well as out-of-home markets. It also produces a variety of lactic acid applications for the food, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. CSM operates in business-to-business markets throughout Europe, North America, South America, and Asia, generates annual sales of € 2.4 billion and has a workforce of around 8,600 employees in 22 countries. CSM is listed on Euronext Amsterdam.