In 1851, a 16-year-old entrepreneur named Léopold Louis-Dreyfus began trading grain on behalf of his family farm in northeastern France, quickly establishing a successful agricultural enterprise. Today, the company that bears his family name is a global leader in ag commodities, operating in more than 100 countries and employing more than 18,000 people worldwide.
“We look on our history, long-term dedication and focus on agribusiness as a source of strength to inform our future,” says Sean Colvin, Louis Dreyfus Company’s treasurer for North America. “Running a business as diverse as ours requires focus, flexibility and strong relationships within the industry.”
It is important to have a financial partner that understands the cyclicality and sometimes volatility of our industry, the challenges we face and the future we are moving toward.
Headquartered in the Netherlands, Louis Dreyfus’ diversified business covers a wide variety of commodity types, including grains and oilseeds, rice, sugar, coffee and cotton. The company’s portfolio of assets spans multiple layers of the agricultural value chain, from production and processing to storage, shipping, merchandizing and distribution.
Louis Dreyfus Company North America has turned to CoBank to finance its U.S. export-related operations. The relationship includes significant loan facilities participated across the Farm Credit System. Louis Dreyfus also works with CoBank’s agriculture export finance division and most recently, CoBank’s interest rate risk management team.
“It is important to have a financial partner that understands the cyclicality and sometimes volatility of our industry, the challenges we face and the future we are moving toward,” says Colvin. “We can rely on CoBank and the Farm Credit System to stick with us through those challenges and partner with us to find the right financial solutions.”
We can rely on CoBank and the Farm Credit System to stick with us through those challenges and partner with us to find the right financial solutions.
The business of providing competitive prices for producers, domestic processing and access to global markets requires the ability to think big and focus on improving the industry as a whole. With that in mind, in addition to achieving its general business objectives, Louis Dreyfus Company has a strong focus on sustainability. Its 17 sustainable development goals are focused on improving everything from the health of various supply chains to basic human rights. Some of these policies have helped transform entire industries in the countries where it does business.
“Louis Dreyfus Company is an industry leader for a reason,” says Antony Bahr, executive vice president of CoBank’s Corporate Agribusiness Group. “Its vision and execution are not only a reaction to market forces, they shape the entire market, and its continued leadership on the global stage is something we are proud to support.”