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Old School. Albert Flegenheimer (pictured second from the right) in the field and the Old Sebewaing factory. Ernest remained head of Michigan Sugar until 1993. One year later, Savannah Foods, then its parent company, hired Mark Flegenheimer as Vice President of Administration, a posi- tion he held until becoming President and CEO in 1998. Grower Cooperative In 2002, Michigan Sugar Company was purchased by the growers and has been a cooperative ever since, now owned by more than 1,000 growers. It’s a change in business structure that “makes all the sense in the world” to Mark. In his grandfather’s and father’s day, the grower/processor relationship was always at the forefront, and it was sometimes stressful determining how to divvy up the money. “Now, it’s simple,” says Mark, “we make as much as we can and we know who the shareholders are.” The family has witnessed changes in the process as well, as new technologies have made their mark. Sugar Business Where there were once diffusion batteries, there are now tower diffusers, eliminating some of the labor intensity of the process. Mark says the biggest development in his time has been the steam dryer, an improve- ment that allows the plant to dry the beet pulp using the steam they are creating, and reducing power usage by as much as one-third. The Flegenheimers have always been on the processing side of the business. They have never been growers. But they hold a keen understanding of the grower’s issues and challenges. “The future of the industry depends on the grower being able to grow sugarbeets more profitably than they can other crops,” Mark says. “It’s not an easy crop to grow and re- quires specialized equipment. “But, it’s a natural product that every- body needs,” he continues. “Whether you’re sitting in a restaurant, or baking cookies at home, you grab for that sugar.” It’s an understanding of the major forces of the sugar business and the ability to focus on them that have made the Flegen- heimers, and Michigan Sugar Company, successful: That, and a true passion for the business. “I love to tour people around the fac- tory,” says Mark. “That you start with that dirt-covered beet and out come those pure, white crystals never ceases to fascinate me.” n Editor’s note: Queck-Matzie is a freelance writer and can be contacted through e-mail at qmat@iowatelecom.net. www.SugarProducer.com 21