b'hol and gin plant in Marquette-lez-Lille, France. The two, encour-aged by a new Austrian fermentation process, began manufacturingLESAFFRE AND ABMS NEW FUTUREbakers yeast, which has been the companys emblem to this day. From there, the company expanded during World War II to perfect yeast-based production and created the first active dry1853 Lesaffre is established.yeast to offset food shortages. Soon after, the company launched Saf-Instant, the industrys first instant dry yeast product. 1936 Lesaffre begins expanding through While yeast is the companys emblem, Lesaffre has been ex- strategic acquisitions in France.panding. From challenges of a massive fire, a grain alcohol crisis and World War IIs occupation of France, Lesaffre learned that1940s Lesaffre creates the first active dryagility and innovation needed to be top-of-mind. yeast to fight food shortages.To continue to innovate, Lesaffre began to expand their knowledge base. And thus, in 2014, created Agrauxine by Lesaf- 1963 Lesaffre enters into its firstfre to expand further into the plant science realm. Agrauxinesinternational partnership in Italy.expertise falls into anything related to biologicalsfoliar, seed treatment and more.2000 ABM is established to market biological These business units, as we call them, have been aroundproducts for others who didnt have the for at least half a century in some form or fashion to leveragetools or experience.the power of microorganisms, Bony says. At first it was yeast focused, but has developed into bacteria and fungi. Now, business2002 ABM releases its first product, Americas units are looking at microbes in humans and animals. Best Inoculant.However, it was only in the last 20 years that Lesaffre began working in the plant industry. 2006 ABM releases encapsulated rhizobia Specifically, the group wanted to look at how our productsExcalibre and Graph-Ex.could be used around plants, he says. Thats why the business unit Agrauxine was createdto put together some research jobs2014 Agrauxine by Lesaffre is established.done internally for a handful of years and to pull new startups together to create a biosolution company. 2016 Hugo Bony becomes Agrauxines CEO.Bony was brought into the company with the establishment of Agrauxine as well.June 2021 Lesaffre Acquires ABM.Originally I joined Lesaffre to look at competitive intelligence and corporate development, Bony says. In 2014, the group askedDecember 2021 ABM is rebranded under the Agrauxineme to take leadership of the business unit about a year and a halfby Lesaffre brand.after its creation in 2016.This division of staff creates Agrauxine as an industrial and technical player in the field of biosolutions, says Ronan Kempf, head of marketing and development at Agrauxine. We have a portfolio of biologicals coming from our fermentation used assome balanced solutions along the way, Bony says. Of course, biofungicides, biostimulant andbionutrition with an initial focusthat starts with the seed, and then moves along with the crop as it on the European and Latin markets. grows and continues to postharvest.When it came to expanding, Kempf says there was only oneABM brought in a strength that Agrauxine lackedthe con-clear path: the U.S. market. Why? Currently, the U.S. market is thenection to the seed sector of the industry. largest biological market in the world and would provide Agraux- When you look at ABM, they were actually active on the bio-ine with good market access and R&D as well.nutrition segmentsmeaning all the inoculants and products youd apply on the seeds, Bony says. On top of that, they had Expanding Innovation with Acquisition some fungicides, bionematicides and bioinsecticides, which were While Agrauxines footprint is global, the company needed to getfields that we werent actively pursuing.a foothold in the U.S.and what better way to gain one thatsWhen you put that all together, with the ability to develop and already well respected and established? use products coming out of fermentationwhich of course, ties We believe its important to be in a position to address all thein well to the Lesaffre groups history with fermentation and yeast farmers needs at all the different crop stages, so they can find ABM seemed like a good fit into the Agrauxine family. JANUARY 2022SEEDWORLD.COM /33'