INDUSTRY

Former Michigan Sugar Company president

Flegenheimer passes away

BY MIKE SPIEKER

Ernest Flegenheimer, former president and CEO of Michigan Sugar Company, died on Feb 2. He was 94.

Flegenheimer’s time as president and CEO of Michigan Sugar spanned over three decades from 1963 to 1993.

He was born in 1927 in Zurich, Switzerland. His father, Albert Flegenheimer was also a pioneer in the sugar industry. Ernest came to the U.S. in 1942 and was naturalized in 1943.

His career in sugar began in 1954 when he began working for Menominee Sugar Company in Green Bay, Wis. He worked there nine years before joining Michigan Sugar.

Ernest was married to Marjorie McGinn, who preceded him in death. Together, they had four children — Ellen, Lauren, Eric and Mark. Today, Mark Flegenheimer continues the family legacy in the sugar industry as he serves as president and CEO of Michigan Sugar.

“Ernest will always be a beloved member of the Michigan Sugar family and we know his impact went far beyond our footprint,” said Michigan Sugar in a statement. “Simply put, Ernest influenced and touched countless people during his life and career.”

Each year, Flegenheimer is remembered at Michigan Sugar through the Ernest Flegenheimer Award, given during the company’s annual Employee Service Award ceremonies to honor an employee for outstanding wisdom, integrity and character.

ACH Seeds Announces 2020 Sugar Bounty Region Winner

Each spring, it’s every sugarbeet grower’s goal to grow the biggest and sweetest beets. ACH Seeds has been rewarding its growers who do just that with their annual Sugar Bounty program.

This year’s regional winners were announced during the American Sugarbeet Growers Association annual meeting, which was held virtually this year, by ACH Seeds Crystal Brand sales leader, Andy Finkral.

“For the 2020 crop year, we again had amazing results from all sugarbeet regions,” said Finkral during the meeting. “Growers continue to produce high ton and high sugar crops using ACH Seeds Crystal brand genetics. We’re so pleased to announce this year’s Sugar Bounty winners.”

2020 winners in each region, with their impressive field results are:

• Great Lakes – Renata Farms LTD, Wallaceburg, Ontario.

• Amalgamated – Deer Flat Farms Inc., Nampa, Idaho.

• Southern Minnesota – Chris Sturm, Springfield, Minn.

• MinnDak – Summer, Inc., Herman, Minn.

• Sidney Sugars – Asbeck Brothers, Fairview, Mont.

• Western Sugar, South – Eckhardt Farms, Inc., LaSalle, Colo.

• Western Sugar, North – Terral Balzer, Worden, Mont.

• Wyoming Sugar – Michael Vigil Farms, Manderson, Wyo.

Each region winner receives gifts that include a Traeger grill with custom grill inserts, a bar pub and stool set, a box of ACH Seeds Crystal brand sugarbeet seed for their upcoming crop, and a plaque recognizing their accomplishment. District and region winners also receive a special Sugar Bounty program jacket that is specific to each program year.

The ACH Seeds Sugar Bounty program is a loyalty and incentive program intended to reward customers for planting Crystal brand varieties that produce the highest sugar and/or tonnage within each sugarbeet growing region where Crystal brand varieties are marketed.