Michel Soufflet, a pioneering figure in French agriculture whose family name is associated with the world’s largest malting group, passed away on Sunday at the age of 94. The announcement came from the InVivo group, which acquired the Soufflet company in 2021. Soufflet was the man who transformed his family’s small grain trading business into a global agribusiness empire. Known for his deep connection to the land and the people who worked it, Soufflet was highly respected for his leadership and innovations in the agricultural sector.
Taking the reins of his family’s company in 1957, after the death of his father, the then 26-year-old Soufflet quickly set about modernizing and expanding the business. What started as a small operation collecting grain from nearby farms evolved into a giant in the malt, flour, and cereal industries. Soufflet's innovations, such as introducing bins for grain storage at the edges of fields and organizing efficient grain transport, helped revolutionize farming practices in the region.
By the 1980s, under Soufflet’s guidance, the company had become one of France’s leading grain exporters. Its international expansion began in the late 1960s with the construction of a grain silo in Rouen, France’s largest grain export port. Soufflet later expanded into markets across Western Europe, and in the 1990s, into Eastern Europe, establishing a presence in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine.
Known for his hands-on approach, Soufflet had a personal connection with the farmers he worked with, often dining with them and attending local events. "He knew all the farmers by name," recalled Gérard Menuel, LR deputy for Aube.
In 2001, Michel Soufflet passed executive control of the company to his son, Jean-Michel Soufflet. However, due to the lack of a family successor, father and son made the decision in 2021 to sell the business to the InVivo group (inside.beer, 6.5.2021). The acquisition of Soufflet helped InVivo become a European leader in agribusiness, with its turnover doubling to EUR 12.4 billion in 2022-23 and growing its workforce to 14,500 employees.
Following the acquisition of United Malt Group last year, Malteries Soufflet is today the world’s leading malt producer (inside.beer, 3.7.2023). The company operates 41 malting plants in 20 countries across 5 continents, with a combined annual capacity of 3.7 million tons of malt. The company employs 1,300 people and had an annual revenue of EUR 1.4 billion in 2022/2023.
Michel Soufflet’s contributions have left a lasting impact on France's agriculture and food industry, establishing the company as a key player on the global stage.
