Hamburg, August 2023 – The desire to improve upon plant-based products shows no sign of slowing down. The rapid development of innovative products plays a central role in this, as can be seen from the growth of food tech company Planteneers. This specialist in functional systems for plant-based alternatives has become a key player in the strongly expanding plant-based market in just three years. 

Now the company has opened a new office in the United States. In Aurora Illinois, Gretchen Moon, Vice President of Commercial Operations for North America, and her team will focus on the expectations of American consumers. In addition to sales, distribution, and marketing specialists, its product managers and R&D technologists will provide new ideas and high-sales potential concepts.

“Our portfolio comprises three product areas – plant-based alternatives to meat and sausage products, seafood, and cheese and dairy,” said Gretchen Moon. “In plant-based sausage products, our focus is on alternatives to raw sausages like salami and chorizo, as well as snack-sticks, cold cuts, and small sausages. In meat alternatives we naturally address the BBQ classics, steak and ground meat.” 

The plant-based seafood line is likewise tailored to the preferences of American consumers, with salmon filet and smoked salmon, shrimp, calamari, sashimi, fish sticks, and breaded filets, naturally all purely plant-based. “Cheese and dairy products are also interesting from our perspective,” said Moon. 

“Manufacturers can use our systems to make plant-based alternatives to parmesan, cheddar, feta, and cream cheese.” Plant-based cream cheese for cheesecake is another possibility. And naturally, the systems for ice cream also offer attractive market potential. 

Planteneers at the Plant Plant-Based Expo

In September attendees can meet the team and check out their product highlights in person at the Plant-Based World Expo in New York City. At booth number 619, Planteneers will present popular demonstrations of our products, including functional systems for making plant-based alternatives to steak, salmon, chicken, salami, mortadella, snack sticks, parmesan, feta, and cheddar. Visitors can taste the resulting plant-based foods and see for themselves how close they are to the flavor and texture of the animal originals.

As a global sponsor of Plant-Based Expo, Planteneers also offers other platforms for discussion and new ideas at the show. On September 7, Florian Bark, Plantbaser Product Manager, will moderate the Culinary Experience Show in the Culinary Theatre from 10:30 to 11:00. The joint Planteneers and Plant Based Foods Association afterparty in the South Concourse will be an ideal opportunity for relaxed networking. Here, starting at 5:00 PM visitors can wrap up the first show day with snacks made with innovative Planteneers product developments. 

The podium discussion “They Introduced Plant-Based to the World… What’s Next?” on September 8 from 11:45 to 12:30 in the Executive Summit Room will provide new inspiration. The event will be moderated by Rebecca Dengrove, Technical Sales Manager Planteneers East Coast. The guests, who are founders and CEOs of the companies Eat Just, GOOD PLANeT Foods, and No Evil Foods will discuss the future of the industry. 

Planteneers USA: The Starting Gun for a New Customer Center

There is no need for further speculation on the future of Planteneers in the US. The next steps are already clear – construction has already begun on the new Customer Excellence Center in Aurora, which is slated to open next summer. In addition, the Applications Technology team will be expanded. The company will also present new ideas for food manufacturers as a Gold Sponsor of the Future Food Tech show in San Francisco in March 2024. 

“Plant-based is more and more important on the North American market. New, innovative products that are increasingly similar to conventional animal products will be easier for consumers to integrate into their daily lives, since they fit existing habits. At our new location with production, R&D, and the upcoming Customer Center, we can address customer-specific requirements for the US market even better,” noted Gretchen Moon.  

About Planteneers

Planteneers GmbH, headquartered in Ahrensburg, Germany, develops and produces custom system solutions for plant-based alternatives to meat, sausage, and fish products, as well as cheese, dairy products, and deli foods. As a member of the independent, owner-operated Stern-Wywiol Gruppe with a total of twelve sister companies, Planteneers can make use of many synergies. The company has access to the knowledge of some 170 R&D specialists and to the extensive applications technology of the large Stern Technology Center in Ahrensburg. Part of the Technology Center, the Plant Based Competence Center formed in 2019 is the creative pool for alternative solutions, and the heart of Planteneers. Customers also benefit from the Group’s international network of 19 subsidiaries and numerous qualified foreign representatives in the world’s key markets, as well as shared production facilities and the Group’s own logistics resources. With revenues exceeding 760 million euros and some 1950 employees around the globe, the Stern-Wywiol Gruppe is one of the world’s most successful international suppliers of food & feed ingredients.