FINLAND – Raisio, a company that uses grain and other plant-based raw materials is considering selling its feeds business in its divestment plan to focus on healthy foods.

The company plans on disposing its feed business that includes cattle and fish feeds, sold in Finland and Russia.

Raisio established and strengthened its Raisioagro’s company for its agricultural products in Finland in 2013.

In 2016, the company invested around US$5 million to expand its fish feed factory in Finland with a new production line in order to increase the feed capacity in the region.

In another divestment, Raisio sold off its confectionery business to Valeo Foods Group, which saw it exit the confectionery market in the UK and Czech Republic, as the company revealed.

Valeo Foods took over the company’s role as a producer of confectionery to both the retail and industrial customers.

With the new plans, Raisio group’s healthy food business that include Benecol and Healthy Foods which currently operates as separate businesses will now be merged to form Healthy Food Division.

“To ensure Raisio’s organic growth, we are going to move from a holding-type structure to a model in which all resources are targeted toward supporting the strategic objectives of the Healthy Food Division,” said Pekka Kuusniemi, Raisio Group’s President and CEO.

The company’s CEO, Pekka who will perform the roles of a Chief Compliance Officer until a new director is appointed, will handle the new division’s operations.

With the new organisational structure, the division will be divided into three geographic regions that are; Northern and Eastern Europe, Western Europe and the rest of the world.

Since Vincent Poujardieu, the Vice President of Benecol business will be leaving the company, the Group Management Team will comprise of President and CEO Pekka Kuusniemi, CFO Antti Elevuori, Vice President of HR Merja Lumme, Vice President of Legal Affairs Sari Koivulehto-Mäkitalo, Vice President of Operations Jukka Heinänen and Vice President of Raisioagro Perttu Eerola.