EQS-News: AGRANA holds Capital Markets Day on its new “NEXT LEVEL” strategy

AGRANA holds Capital Markets Day on its new “NEXT LEVEL” strategy

Stephan Büttner, CEO of AGRANA-Beteiligungs-AG, and Norbert Harringer, Group CTO, are presenting the new AGRANA Group strategy, named “NEXT LEVEL”, to analysts, institutional investors and bankers at the company’s Capital Markets Day on the evening of 16 January 2025 in Vienna and the morning of 17 January 2025 in Kröllendorf, Lower Austria.

At its meeting on 12 November 2024, the Supervisory Board unanimously approved the new Group strategy presented by the Management Board. In addition to the implementation of NEXT LEVEL, accompanying measures for the Group’s structural transformation also received approval. The restructuring in the Group is expected to yield annual cost savings of € 80 million to € 100 million through process optimisation and the reduction of fixed costs; these savings are to be fully effective from the 2027|28 financial year.

In view of the unfavourable short- to medium-term business outlook (see press release of 14 January 2025 on AGRANA’s results for the first three quarters of 2024|25), the NEXT LEVEL strategy takes on even greater significance in the drive to put AGRANA’s earnings back on track and guide the company into more prosperous times.

In the form of an initial progress report, the management will present and discuss the following key aspects of NEXT LEVEL at the Capital Markets Day:

• First implementation steps taken for the restructuring of the whole AGRANA Group into a streamlined strategic holding company with two strategic business areas: “Agricultural Commodities & Specialities” and “Food & Beverage Solutions”.
• Presentation of the two projects Horizon 1 (streamlining of administration) and Horizon 2 (process optimisation in the Sugar and Starch segments)
• Optimisation of working capital (new financing models, such as factoring)
• New “Agricultural Commodities & Specialities” business area: Focus on cost efficiency – from the purchase of raw materials all the way to production – primarily through cost synergies
• New “Food & Beverage Solutions” business area: Focus on innovative customer services, i.e., the development of new solutions for and with customers
• Expansion of the solutions business, using the example of the aroma activities (AUSTRIA JUICE)
• Transformation measures that were already started in the 2024|25 financial year (originally, € 4 to 5 million of the measures’ impact was to be realised in the current 2024|25 financial year; the actual figure will be € 8 million)
• By the end of the 2027|28 financial year, NEXT LEVEL is planned to cumulatively reduce the Group’s expenses by almost € 160 million and then achieve a sustained savings effect of at least € 80 million annually from the measures

In addition to the structural transformation at the holding company and divisional level, sustainability remains a central plank of the AGRANA NEXT LEVEL strategy. AGRANA is on track to achieve net-zero emissions by 2040 for Scope 1 and 2, and by 2050 at the latest for Scope 3. This commitment is not only part of the Group’s social responsibility, but also a strategic necessity in order to remain competitive in the long term.

Analysts, institutional investors and bankers will have the opportunity to discuss the new strategy with the management both at the evening presentation on 16 January 2025 in Vienna, and during a visit to the product development centre for aromas and beverage bases in Kröllendorf, Lower Austria, the following day.

The Capital Markets Day presentations are available on the AGRANA website at LINK for download.

A shareholder tour for retail investors is planned in spring 2025 during which the Management Board will engage with retail shareholders, answering their questions on the new Group strategy. Further information on this event will be announced soon.

This announcement is available in German and English at www.agrana.com.

About AGRANA

AGRANA converts agricultural raw materials into high-quality foods and numerous industrial intermediate products. About 9,000 employees at 53 production sites worldwide generate annual Group revenue of approximately € 3.8 billion. Established in 1988, the company is the global market leader in fruit preparations and the world’s leading producer and vendor of apple and berry juice concentrates. As well, its Starch segment is a major manufacturer of custom starch products (made from potato, corn and wheat) and of bioethanol. AGRANA is the leading sugar producer in Central and Eastern Europe.
For queries, please contact:

Hannes Haider, Investor Relations
+43 1 21137 12905, hannes.haider@agrana.com

Markus Simak, Public Relations
+43 1 21137 12084, markus.simak@agrana.com