Louis Dreyfus Company facts for kids
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| Subsidiary (B.V.). Private | |
| Industry | Merchant |
| Genre | Agriculture, Food processing, Transportation |
| Founded | 1851 |
| Founder | Léopold Louis-Dreyfus |
| Headquarters | , |
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Area served
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Worldwide (operations in 100+ countries) |
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Key people
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Margarita Louis-Dreyfus (Chairman) Michel Demaré (Deputy Chairman) Michael Gelchie (CEO) Michael Gelchie (COO) |
| Products | Oilseeds, grains, juice, fertilisers, cotton, sugar, rice, coffee, dairy, metals, etc. |
| Services | Freight, finance, etc. |
| Revenue |
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Operating income
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US$1, 048 million (FY2018) |
| US$357 million (FY2018) US$317 million (FY2017) |
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| Total assets | US$18.4 billion (FY2018) |
| Total equity | US$5,034 million (FY2018) |
| Owner | ADQ (45%) |
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Number of employees
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22,000+ (FY2015) |
| Parent | Louis Dreyfus Holding B.V. |
| Footnotes / references Financial highlights 2018 |
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Louis Dreyfus Company B.V. (often called LDC) is a big French company. It works in many areas like agriculture, preparing food, shipping goods around the world, and finance. LDC also owns and manages special investment funds. They operate ocean vessels and build communication networks. The company is also involved in real estate, which means buying, selling, and managing properties.
LDC is one of the four largest companies that trade farm products globally. These four companies are sometimes called the "ABCD" companies. The others are Archer Daniels Midland, Bunge, and Cargill. LDC handles about 10% of the world's farm product trade. It is the biggest trader of cotton and rice in the world. Many people also see it as the second-largest player in the global sugar market.
The main office of Louis Dreyfus Company is in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Its parent company, Louis Dreyfus Holding B.V., has its main office in Amsterdam. LDC has offices in over 100 countries, with 72 locations. Important offices are in cities like Geneva, London, Beijing, Buenos Aires, Paris, São Paulo, Singapore, New York City and Connecticut. The company earns over US$120 billion in sales each year. It employs more than 22,000 people worldwide during busy times.
How Louis Dreyfus Company Started
The company began in 1851 in Alsace, France. It was founded by Léopold Dreyfus. He was 18 years old and the son of a farmer. Léopold bought wheat from local farmers in Alsace. Then, he transported it to Basel in Switzerland, which was about 8 miles (13 km) away.
Léopold became very wealthy while still a teenager. He did this by trading cereals across borders. He quickly started working in other areas too. These included shipping, making weapons, farming, oil, and banking. This helped him create one of Europe's richest families. His family still owns the company today. By the early 1900s, the Louis-Dreyfus family was known as one of the "top five biggest fortunes of France."
During the Second World War, the family was Jewish. Because of this, the Vichy government took away many of their family's assets. Some family members had to escape to America. In 1941, a temporary non-Jewish manager was put in charge of the Louis Dreyfus Corn Dealers company.
Recent Company News
On May 11, 2018, Louis Dreyfus Company sold its metals trading business. This business was called LDC Metals, or LDCM. It was sold to NCCL Natural Resources Investment Fund for US$466 million.
In December 2023, Louis Dreyfus Company offered to buy an Australian cotton company. This company is called Namoi Cotton.
In March 2024, LDC announced another big purchase. They signed an agreement to fully buy Cacique. Cacique is a Brazilian company that exports instant coffee. The price for this deal was not shared.
The Louis-Dreyfus Family
Léopold Louis-Dreyfus had a great-grandson named Gérard Louis-Dreyfus. Gérard was the chairman of Louis Dreyfus Energy Services. This part of the company traded crude-oil, invested in gas, and managed energy structures. Gérard was also the father of the famous American actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus.
Another part of the family's business was based in Paris. It was led by Robert Louis-Dreyfus until he passed away in 2009. Robert was also the CEO of the sports company Adidas. Now, his wife, Margarita Bogdanova Louis-Dreyfus, oversees this part of the business. She was born in Russia.
A third part of the family's business is led by Philippe Louis-Dreyfus (born in 1945). His focus is mainly on industrial activities at sea and managing freight shipping.
See also
In Spanish: Grupo Louis-Dreyfus para niños
- Pierre Louis-Dreyfus
- Louis Louis-Dreyfus
- LD Lines
