Ekosem-Agrar appoints industry experts to Advisory Board

Walldorf, 27 February 2012 – Ekosem-Agrar GmbH, the German holding company of Russian milk producer Ekoniva Group, has signed up Dr. Thomas Kirchberg, member of the Management Board of Südzucker AG Mannheim/Ochsenfurt, Wilhelm Rupp, member of the Management Board of Volksbank Kraichgau Wiesloch-Sinsheim eG, Thomas Stürtz, member of the Management Board of Nordmilch eG as well as Dr. Franz-Georg von Busse, Managing Director of agricultural machinery manufacturer LEMKEN GmbH & Co. KG as founding members of its Advisory Board.

Says Stefan Dürr, founder and CEO of Ekosem-Agrar GmbH: “I am very pleased that we have been able to win such well-respected personalities for our Advisory Board. All four members have been long-time companions of our company and have great agricultural expertise. In addition, Wilhelm Rupp is an experienced financial expert, who will give us valuable advice as we make our company fit for the capital market.”

Dr. Thomas Kirchberg is a member of the Management Board of Südzucker AG Mannheim/Ochsenfurt, the market leader in the European sugar industry, as well as Co-chairman of the “Agriculture” working group of Germany’s Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations. He studied agriculture at Göttingen University and has been active in the European agricultural sector for over 20 years.

Wilhelm Rupp has been a member of the Management Board of today’s Volksbank Kraichgau Wiesloch-Sinsheim eG since April 1998 and has supported Walldorf-based Ekosem-Agrar GmbH from the very beginning. Total assets of EUR 2.85 billion (FY 2011) make the bank one of Germany’s top 15 “Volks- und Raiffeisenbanken”.

Thomas Stürtz has sat on the Management Board of Nordmilch eG since January 2007. Since the 2011 merger with Humana Milch, Nordmilch has been part of Germany’s largest dairy company, DMK Deutsche Milchkontor GmbH. Thomas Stürtz has studied agriculture and operates his own dairy cow farm in Dorum near Cuxhaven.

Dr. Franz Georg von Busse has been Managing Director of LEMKEN GmbH & Co. KG in Alpen/Niederrhein since 1991. He holds a PhD in law and sits on several industry bodies, e.g. as Chairman of the Board of the German Export Association for Food and Agri Products (GEFA) as well as Board member and spokesperson of the German agricultural and food industry on Germany’s Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations.

Ekosem-Agrar GmbH clearly accelerated its growth in the past financial year 2010/2011 (ended Sept. 30). Total output increased by 67% to EUR 80.8 million, while earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) rose from EUR 2.1 million to EUR 13.8 million. The undersupplied Russian milk market offers excellent prospects for the company to continue its growth in the coming years.

Ekosem-Agrar plans to issue a corporate bond in Germany in 2012 to finance its ongoing expansion.