Tienen, Belgium
September 17, 2025
Today, United Beet Seeds (UBS) proudly marks its first anniversary, celebrating a year of innovation, collaboration, and sustainable growth in the global beet and chicory seed markets.
Established in 2024 as a joint venture between Groupe Florimond Desprez and DLF Seeds A/S, UBS has rapidly evolved into a trusted partner specialising in sugar beet seed research, production, processing, and commercialisation. Headquartered in Tienen, Belgium, UBS currently employs over 900 people worldwide, united by a shared commitment to shaping the future of agriculture.
“In just one year, we’ve seen the power of combining our talents, expertise, and germplasm under one roof. As one united organization, we are committed to driving innovation, quality, and sustainable solutions, consolidating UBS as the partner of choice and a market leader in beet and chicory worldwide.”
- Lilian Escalon, CEO of UBS
As of today, UBS enters a new chapter as a fully integrated commercial organization. All key activities, including variety selection and breeding, registration, and sales, are now managed under the UBS umbrella. This marks the kick-off of United Beet Seeds’ transition to a global leading sugar beet power brand, uniting the known strengths and quality of our strong legacy brands: SESVANDERHAVE, MARIBO, HILLESHÖG, and KUHN into one unified commercial identity. These well-known and trusted sugar beet brands will be fully powered by UBS starting today!
This strategic transformation enables UBS to deliver tailored solutions to meet regional and customer-specific needs, provide even more efficient and coordinated services across markets and strengthen its innovation pipeline through continuous shared R&D and breeding resources.
UBS’s first year has been defined by expansion, innovation, and collaboration. With a strong focus on developing high-performing beet and chicory varieties, investing in advanced research and sustainability, and building a team culture rooted in shared expertise.
Looking ahead, United Beet Seeds will continue to drive progress through its talented international teams and a unified brand, empowering the agricultural sector with high-quality solutions that support the long-term success of beet and chicory growers and industry, today and in the future.
About United Beet Seeds
United Beet Seeds (UBS), founded in September 2024, is a joint venture between Groupe Florimond Desprez and DLF Seeds A/S, specialising in all aspects of sugar beet seed research, production, processing, and commercialisation. We leverage our combined strengths, extensive expertise, and shared passion to expand opportunities for growers and industry in the global beet and chicory seed markets. Headquartered in Tienen, Belgium, UBS employs over 900 people worldwide and is driven by a strong focus on innovation, quality, and sustainability, resulting in high-performing and sustainable varieties tailored to the needs of modern agriculture. Guided by our core values, humility, innovation, agility, and resilience, UBS is committed to building trusted partnerships and shaping a future defined by excellence in all we do.
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