Avebe starts out as the ‘Coöperatief Aardappelmeel Verkoop Bureau’. Much has changed over the past century, but one thing has remained the same: the potato. In 1919, we started by representing several independent cooperatives.

An unusually productive harvest leads to a saturated global market in 1930. The potato starch industry is struggling. The economic downturn affects workers and their families. With the help of a government loan, Avebe gets through the difficult year.

In 1948, Avebe introduces starch derivatives, and in 1954 the joint potato starch factories establish KARNA (‘Kweekinstituut van Aardappelrassen ten behoeve van de Nederlandse Aardappelmeelindustrie’ – Institute for the Breeding of Potato Varieties for the Dutch Potato Starch Industry). The aim? To breed high-yielding varieties that are also resistant to diseases.

In 1971, the factories and the sales office merge. Thanks to the acquisition of KSH (Koninklijke Scholten Honig) in 1978, Avebe increases its share of the potato starch market. The company gains control of premium derivatives, new markets and the associated sales organisation.

Following a restructuring operation involving all stakeholders, Avebe achieves great success. During this period, collaboration is key and many challenges are overcome together. Avebe looks back with pride on these years of progress and innovation.

Avebe focuses its efforts on three areas: potatoes as a raw material, cost price and targeted innovation.

This focus bears fruit in 2007 with a breakthrough in extracting protein from potatoes. What was initially only suitable for animal feed can now be used by Avebe for human food. The product is given the name ‘Solanic’. The first ‘Solanic’ protein factory opens in Gasselternijveen.

Avebe no longer receives European subsidies and the industry has to manage without this funding. Once again, forces are joined and Avebe ends the year with a positive cooperative result of more than 11 million euros.

Avebe opens a new location: the Innovation Center in Groningen. Here, we share and combine our strengths, both internally and with local knowledge institutions such as universities.

After a century of getting the most out of the potato, we receive the Royal Warrant and can proudly call ourselves Royal Avebe. We embrace our success, are grateful for our position and are happy to share our knowledge and expertise with the world.

Avebe acquires Solan, a Polish producer of potato flakes and granules. With this acquisition, Avebe expands its product portfolio and strengthens its position in the potato products market.

We are an organisation in transition: we are building a more market- and customer-driven approach, in which we are making our unique, distinctive value increasingly visible. Thanks to the power of the potato, we deliver sustainable and healthier solutions with an ever-smaller ecological footprint. With production locations in the Netherlands, Germany, Poland and Sweden, and sales offices worldwide, we continue to innovate within the agri-food sector. In this way, we actively contribute to solutions for the challenges of tomorrow.