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$450 MILLION
INDUSTRY INVESTMENT
IN EVERGLADES
RESTORATION TO DATE
STOCKHOLDERS
2024 REPORT TO
U.S. Sugar is an agribusiness enterprise that has been feeding American families for nearly 100 years. We grow and process sugarcane, citrus and sweet corn for well-known national brands.
U.S. Sugar accounts for 13% of all refined sugar produced in the United States. We grow, harvest and process sugarcane into sugar that is used by food manufacturers to make bread, canned fruits and vegetables, juice and beverages, cakes, cereals, ice cream, candies and other favorite foods. U.S. Sugar also packages small bags to sell directly to consumers at grocery stores.
U.S. Sugar and its family growers farm more than 250,000 acres in Highlands, Glades, Hendry, Palm Beach and Martin counties and is a vital part of our rural communities, providing 3,000 jobs and supporting local organizations.
203,367 ACRES
OWNED AND MANAGED BY U.S. SUGAR
94 YEARS
IN BUSINESS
3,000
TEAM MEMBERS
351,061 MWh
RENEWABLE ENERGY
PRODUCED
51,703 ACRES
OWNED AND MANAGED
BY FAMILY GROWERS
47
FAMILY GROWERS
$2 MILLION
ANNUAL COMMUNITY
IMPACT
DEAR U.S. SUGAR FAMILY,
For nearly 100 years, we’ve been growing food to feed American families. Our 3,000 employees, along with favorable market conditions, made 2024 a great year.
U.S. Sugar is successful because we are more than a business. We are a family.
This family includes generations of farmers, engineers, operators and technicians dedicated to innovating and pushing the boundaries of our vision. It also includes our network of family growers, which provides 20% of the throughput to our Clewiston sugar mill. We work together to achieve our mission, we collaborate to overcome the challenges we face, and we celebrate the contributions of each individual.
In 2024, we rolled out a new vision, mission, purpose and values system that reflects who we are at our core: an agribusiness enterprise dedicated to sustainably feeding Americans over the next 100 years. This updated approach will guide us in the years ahead.
In 2024, U.S. Sugar updated its vision, mission, purpose and values as part of a comprehensive review to understand what really defines us. What we heard: We are, at our heart, an agribusiness enterprise; and working together, we will continue to feed American families for another 100 years. But we must make changes that align with our core: a sugar business that uses sustainable farming and manufacturing practices to produce food throughout the year. In order to accomplish this and position our Company for the future, we laid out key initiatives that support three strategic pillars:
THREE PILLARS
Focus on our core
Be the low-cost producer
Embrace technology as an enabler
Focus on our core
THREE PILLARS
Be the low-cost producer
Embrace technology as an enabler
Our Vision
To be the low-cost producer of high quality, refined sugar.
Our Mission
Maximize long-term shareholder value.
Our Purpose
Sustainably feed American families for the next 100 years.
Our Values
INTEGRITY TRUST TEAMWORK STEWARDSHIP EXCELLENCE
PRIORITIZING SAFETY
Safety is a top priority across the Company. With a heavy emphasis on training to promote workplace safety, U.S. Sugar continues to lead the industry and set the standard for safety. In 2024, we continued our trend of making improvements to safety through a greater focus on accident prevention and a commitment to following all safety protocols in our Agriculture, Railroad, Sugar Manufacturing departments and at the Savannah Sugar Refinery.
AGRICULTURE
U.S. Sugar and its family growers farm more than 250,000 acres of sugarcane, citrus, sweet corn and green beans throughout South Florida. Across the farming area, we leverage innovative precision agriculture technology and use it to make better agronomic decisions about fuel efficiency, farming and production.
9.35 million tons of cane - 3rd largest crop in history
Safety results approximately 70% safer than industry average
Adoption of new precision ag technology throughy loT expansion
SUGARCANE CROP
Our 2023-24 crop produced 9.35 million tons of cane, which was the third largest crop in our history. The 2023-24 harvest season lasted 248 days, beginning on October 1, 2023, and ending on June 5, 2024.
U.S. Sugar Administration cane finished at 47.8 sugarhouse tons per acre (TPA), making it the third highest Administration TPA in Company history. This marked the ninth consecutive year above 44 TPA and the fifth year above 46 TPA. Administration cane ended the season at 10,683 pounds of sugar per acre, which is also the third best in Company history.
NEW VARIETIES
U.S. Sugar continually invests in research and development of new sugarcane varieties. Improved varieties can strengthen yields, enhance sugar content and protect against pests and disease.
In 2015, U.S. Sugar initiated a membership into the West Indies Central Sugarcane Breeding Station (WICSCBS) to develop FLB Barbados. Working with key partners in the region, we developed a strategy for the program and provided stakeholders with the traits needed for economic sustainability. 2024 marked the final stage of the pipeline, and commercial varieties of FLB Barbados will be released this year.
Florida’s sugarcane industry is working with U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) to establish a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA). Under this initiative, USDA-ARS scientists will focus 100% on cutting edge research that will help to develop and identify highly productive sugarcane varieties. More importantly, industry stakeholders will have the opportunity to tweak the current program to increase the chances of better varieties advancing through the pipeline.
Through a partnership with the Republic of Brazil, U.S. Sugar is testing the RB variety, which was developed by the Interinstitutional Network for the Development of the Sugar and Alcohol Sector (RIDESA). These varieties are grown on more than 60% of sugarcane acres in Brazil, and they offer many desirable traits, such as introgression of ratoons, which will bring down planting costs, and lack of flowering. There are currently 20 RB commercial varieties and 30,000 proprietary seedlings planted on U.S. Sugar farms.
SWEET CORN & OTHER CROPS
In 2024, U.S. Sugar hit its 10-year milestone in the sweet corn operation, resulting in more crates harvested than the previous year and margins exceeding budget.
Rouge River Farms harvested 14,552 acres, exceeding the previous year by 10%. Yields per acre were slightly down but with sales volume being up the overall sales margin exceeded budget. During 2024, Rouge River made significant investments in land and buildings. In 2024, Florida’s citrus industry continued to face negative trends due to disease and foreign market pressures. As a result, the conversion of citrus groves for other purposes continues. All available acres in the Alcoma Grove have been planted with sugarcane, approximately 1,950 acres.
U.S. SUGAR STORY
Matt Parham
Farm Manager
U.S. SUGAR STORY
GIOVANNI REYES
Machinist
ADVANCED PRECISION AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGIES
U.S. Sugar uses the latest science and technology to produce the best sugar and highest quality fresh fruit and vegetables. Employing advanced practices in planting, harvesting and transportation allows us to maximize our crop and protect the environment.
JOHN DEERE TECHNOLOGY SOLUTION
U.S. Sugar utilizes John Deere’s Auto Field Cruise, an engine speed control system, that reduces fuel consumption of the sugarcane harvester. With the help of this technology, U.S. Sugar has achieved a one gallon per hour savings when Auto Field Cruise is engaged, resulting in about 80,000 gallons of fuel saved per year.
SAP S/4 HANA CLOUD PRIVATE EDITION
In 2024, U.S. Sugar finalized an agreement to upgrade its SAP cloud-based database, which will provide the latest technology to improve data collection from the farms and factory. The technology encompasses essential ERP functionalities, such as finance and procurement, along with new capabilities like embedded AI. The software will further optimize U.S. Sugar’s operations, ensuring seamless procurement activities, real-time sustainability performance monitoring and efficient maintenance management. Once implemented, the integration of SAP Intelligent Agriculture will enable U.S. Sugar to evaluate, enhance and further integrate its digital farming solutions, fostering greater efficiency and sustainability in our farming operations.
HIPHEN DRONE TECHNOLOGY
U.S. Sugar is leveraging the latest drone technology through a partnership with Hiphen. The drone cameras provide data and traits from fields that can inform the variety selection process. An RGB sensor on the drone can estimate plant biovolume, which replaces manual plot ratings. With the plant biovolume data, U.S. Sugar teams more strategically select the correct varieties to advance. The use of technology in this case creates significant efficiencies while also greatly improving accuracy. Drone technologies are also used to fight muck fires. With the help of 10 licensed drone pilots and 11 drones in operation, thermal cameras are flown over fields to assess the severity of the muck fire - saving fuel and time.
SUGAR MANUFACTURING
U.S. Sugar is home to a world-class sugar manufacturing operation that sets the standard for production efficiency, operational results, product quality and environmental stewardship. In 2024, we continued the trend of pushing the limits of our milling capacity with one of the best years for tonnage in Company history.
Excellent sucrose extraction from cane
Completion of Phase 2 to convert C Tandem to electric drive system
Third ISTA class graduated May 2024
During the 248-day crop season, U.S. Sugar processed 8,029,400 tons of cane, the fourth highest tonnage in Company history. In addition, manufacturing generated 905,525 tons of 96 Pol raw sugar.
In 2024, U.S. Sugar produced 1,127,459 cwt of liquid sugar. Last year’s production is just under the record set in 2022. It marks the third year in a row that liquid has been more than 1 million cwt.
The 86-day repair season marks the second shortest in Company history. With the help of the “Chop and Swap” initiative, the team continues to benefit from increased efficiency and reduced down times.
8,029,400 TONS
OF CANE, THE FOURTH LARGEST VOLUME IN U.S. SUGAR HISTORY, WERE GROUND IN CLEWISTON.
908,525 TONS
OF 96 POL RAW SUGAR WERE PRODUCED IN CLEWISTON.
851,735 TONS
OF REFINED SUGAR
WERE PRODUCED IN CLEWISTON.
One sustainable aspect of the Sugar Manufacturing process is the capture of our region’s natural muck soils, which can add nutrient-rich soil back to our farms after the sugarcane is milled. Our facility’s mud filter stations performed well despite handling elevated mud loads that were surpassed only by the previous year due to heavy rainfall over much of the season. The mud filter station receives the mud that settles out from the clarifiers and the residual sucrose is also removed.
During summer repairs in the juice processing area, the juice clarifiers underwent routine repairs with no significant findings in this year’s mechanical integrity inspection. No juice heaters were replaced, with only routine maintenance being required during the normal maintenance period in the summer.
The evaporator station performed well achieving an evaporation rate just below the best crop (2019/20) ever achieved since the Breakthrough Project. There continued to be multiple projects in this area to combat corrosion and scaling.
In the crystallization section of the Boiling House, significant repairs were performed on the batch pans based on mechanical integrity inspection results. The replacement of the cooling elements in Vertical Crystallizer #3 was completed as part of an ongoing plan to replace the elements in all four of the vertical crystallizers.
2024 KEY MILLING STATISTICS
CLEWISTON REFINERY
After producing ahead of budget all year, the Refinery finished the fiscal year with 17,034,695 cwt (851,735 tons) of refined sugar produced, 2.37% below the previous year as a result of having to shut down due to Hurricane Milton. Liquid sugar demand was strong, coming in at over 1 million cwt for the third year in a row with 1,127,456 cwt (56,373 tons) produced.
The Refinery’s annual seven-day maintenance outage occurred in June as scheduled. Major routine repairs and scroll replacements were completed during this time. Several capital projects were also completed this year, including the installation of a new packaging building roof, refurbishment of the screening tower’s third floor and replacement of the pallet wrapper and pallet inverter. In February, the Refinery successfully completed the annual carbon furnace overhaul and also installed a new scrubber during the overhaul to ensure continued emissions compliance.
The SQF 9.0 Food Safety and Food Quality Certification was successfully renewed during an audit at the end of January 2024. As expected, the Refinery maintained its Quality Code certification and its “Excellent” rating with a score of 100 out of 100. Multiple customer audits were also successfully completed throughout the year with brands such as Coca-Cola, McKee Foods, Nestle and many others. In May 2024, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services conducted an unannounced audit on behalf of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the Refinery was found to meet all requirements. In July 2024, the Refinery once again successfully completed an audit to renew its non-GMO certification.
CLEWISTON REFINERY
After producing ahead of budget all year, the Refinery finished the fiscal year with 17,034,695 cwt (851,735 tons) of refined sugar produced, 2.37% below the previous year as a result of having to shut down due to Hurricane Milton. Liquid sugar demand was strong, coming in at over 1 million cwt for the third year in a row with 1,127,456 cwt (56,373 tons) produced.
The Refinery’s annual seven-day maintenance outage occurred in June as scheduled. Major routine repairs and scroll replacements were completed during this time. Several capital projects were also completed this year, including the installation of a new packaging building roof, refurbishment of the screening tower’s third floor and replacement of the pallet wrapper and pallet inverter. In February, the Refinery successfully completed the annual carbon furnace overhaul and also installed a new scrubber during the overhaul to ensure continued emissions compliance.
The SQF 9.0 Food Safety and Food Quality Certification was successfully renewed during an audit at the end of January 2024. As expected, the Refinery maintained its Quality Code certification and its “Excellent” rating with a score of 100 out of 100. Multiple customer audits were also successfully completed throughout the year with brands such as Coca-Cola, McKee Foods, Nestle and many others. In May 2024, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services conducted an unannounced audit on behalf of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the Refinery was found to meet all requirements. In July 2024, the Refinery once again successfully completed an audit to renew its non-GMO certification.
SAVANNAH SUGAR
REFINERY
Increased packaging throughput
Launching the centrifugal project
Facility and maintenance improvements
A key priority for the Savannah Sugar Refinery in 2024 was making smart investments into the business, which will increase packaging throughput, modernizing the facility’s centrifugals and increasing focus on Operational Excellence. The refinery operated 341 days converting 15,398,726 cwt (769,936 tons) of raw sugar to 14,734,092 cwt (736,705 tons) of refined sugar. Liquid sugar production was steady with 1,961,695 cwt of liquid sucrose and 424,181 cwt of 50% inverted sucrose shipped. The demolition of the original decolorization unit and carbonatation unit was initiated to make room for the new centrifugal station.
PACKAGING
Packaging saw increased performance in the second half of the year after a slow start. The months of July and October 2024 were related to planned shutdowns during those months. As a continued priority, our team remains focused on improving and helping drive reliability in the Finished Goods area.
SPECIALTY PRODUCTS
U.S. Sugar Specialty Products focused on expanding its markets in non-commodity cane sugar co-products through customer-centric solutions. These include:
Optimizing value chain by moving from commodity feed molasses to:
-
Fermentation and Edible (People and Pets) products
-
Chemical base materials (Epoxy Resin)
-
Agricultural functional ingredients
-
Reducing and finally eliminating molasses exports from Clewiston
Placement of by-products such as spent lime (Calcium Carbonate) as agricultural fertilizer and commodity aggregate additives. Finalizing testing as a structural component.
SPECIALTY
PRODUCTS
U.S. Sugar Specialty Products focused on expanding its markets in non-commodity cane sugar co-products through customer-centric solutions. These include:
Optimizing value chain by moving from commodity feed molasses to:
-
Fermentation and Edible (People and Pets) products
-
Chemical base materials (Epoxy Resin)
-
Agricultural functional ingredients
-
Reducing and finally eliminating molasses exports from Clewiston
Placement of by-products such as spent lime (Calcium Carbonate) as agricultural fertilizer and commodity aggregate additives. Finalizing testing as a structural component.
CENTRIFUGAL IMPROVEMENT
The $35.65 MM multi-year Centrifuge Improvement Project is underway and is expected to be completed in February 2026. All major equipment has been purchased and waiting for delivery.
As a sign of increased packaging efficiency, the average number of customer complaints by month continues to decline.
CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS
CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS PER 100,000 CWT
OPERATION EXCELLENCE
INITIATIVE
"It feels like a family company. I enjoy what I do and the people I get to work with daily."
Throughout the year, the Savannah Sugar Refinery prioritized Operational Excellence, which is defined as the systematic implementation of principles and tools to enhance organizational performance and create a culture focused on continuous improvement. To that end, the refinery implemented preventative maintenance measures that are resulting in a higher number of corrective work orders. This is an indication of a positive trend toward creating a proactive culture and positive working environment.
RAILROAD
U.S. Sugar utilizes two rail operations to handle both raw materials and finished goods: U.S. Sugar Railroad (USSC) and the South Central Florida Express, Inc. (SCFE). The USSC is dedicated primarily to the transport of raw sugar cane from the fields to the processing plant at Clewiston over approximately 120 miles of track. SCFE operations support the transport of finished goods between the sugar plant and the general railroad system. SCFE also provides transportation services to a handful of online freight customers scattered around Lake Okeechobee.
Initiated Phase 1 of testing Network Controlled Locomotives including AI-powered and autonomous features.
Replaced two low horsepower GP11 four-axle locomotives with two higher horsepower SD-40 six-axle locomotives.
Completed Phase 3 of the North Shop expansion, doubling the floor space dedicated to service.
Acquired a set of four 50-ton locomotive jacks to increase maintenance efficiency and repair of locomotive wheel sets and trucks.
Initiated Phase 1 of testing Network Controlled Locomotives including AI-powered and autonomous features.
Replaced two low horsepower GP11 four-axle locomotives with two higher horsepower SD-40 six-axle locomotives.
Completed Phase 3 of the North Shop expansion, doubling the floor space dedicated to service.
Acquired a set of four 50-ton locomotive jacks to increase maintenance efficiency and repair of locomotive wheel sets and trucks.
Installed cameras for entire fleet of locomotives, capturing video footage when traversing across the rail network.
Introduced new locomotive paint scheme, increasing morale and sense of ownership of railroad department.
Completed Phase 3 of the North Shop expansion, doubling the floor space dedicated to service.
Installed cameras for entire fleet of locomotives, capturing video footage when traversing across the rail network.
Completed Phase 3 of the North Shop expansion, doubling the floor space dedicated to service.
Introduced new locomotive paint scheme, increasing morale and sense of ownership of railroad department.
TRANSPORTATION OPERATIONS
TRANSPORTATION OPERATIONS
U.S. Sugar’s initiatives to maintain and improve rail infrastructure are essential to ensuring the safe and efficient operation of railways. Maintenance of Way (MOW) encompasses the maintenance, construction and improvement of rail infrastructure, including tracks, ballast and related equipment. These efforts not only improve safety, but they also reduce the number of sugarcane cars necessary to support current volumes of harvesting and milling, while continuing to meet production goals and quality standards. In 2024, U.S. Sugar completed the following activities as part of our derailment prevention program:
Completed Phase 3 of Sugar Yard upgrades, including 18,400 track feet of new rail and automated switch upgrades, completing five of the12 ladder tracks
Installed over 24,000 mainline ties and over 1,000 siding ties.
Distributed 24,300 tons of ballast and surfaced over 65 miles of track.
Upgraded lift rails on Port Mayaka moveable lift bridge.
We continued to improve the efficiency of the rail network with automation upgrades:
Lengthened Liberty Point Siding by additional 2,500 feet in SCFE-West Region of network, allowing for passing and/or additional storage capacity.
Installed 10 Radio Controlled DTMF switches in strategic locations across the rail network.
Installed 10 Radio Controlled DTMF switches in strategic locations across the rail network.
Completed Automation Phase 1 of Moore Haven moveable swing bridge.
We continued to improve the efficiency of the rail network with automation upgrades:
Lengthened Liberty Point Siding by additional 2,500 feet in SCFE-West Region of network, allowing for passing and/or additional storage capacity.
Installed 10 Radio Controlled DTMF switches in strategic locations across the rail network.
Completed Automation Phase 1 of Moore Haven moveable swing bridge.
Completed Phase 3 of Sugar Yard upgrades, including 18,400 track feet of new rail and automated switch upgrades, completing five of the12 ladder tracks
Installed over 24,000 mainline ties and over 1,000 siding ties.
Distributed 24,300 tons of ballast and surfaced over 65 miles of track.
Upgraded lift rails on Port Mayaka moveable lift bridge.
U.S. Sugar Story
SUGAR EXPRESS
Sugar Express is a tourist railroad experience featuring historic steam locomotive no. 148 and 20th century vintage passenger cars. Through excursions, ice cream visits and holiday experiences, Sugar Express is one of the greatest platforms for raising awareness about agriculture among the public. Passengers from the surrounding communities and visitors from afar can learn about our business while exploring our region.
In 2024, Sugar Express hosted:
“Raisin’ Cane” and Company-sponsored charter events educating the public about U.S. Sugar’s agricultural practices in Growing Food for American Families.
Three-day operational weekends with various destination and themed events bringing an economic boost to the Clewiston and Lake Placid communities.
Weekly “Santa Express” events during the month of December.
“Raisin’ Cane” and Company-sponsored charter events educating the public about U.S. Sugar’s agricultural practices in Growing Food for American Families.
Three-day operational weekends with various destination and themed events bringing an economic boost to the Clewiston and Lake Placid communities.
Weekly “Santa Express” events during the month of December.
Three private charter events.
Three private charter events.
NEXT GENERATION
ENERGY
U.S. Sugar is committed to clean, renewable and domestic energy. We use bagasse—the fibrous material left over after the sugarcane stalks are crushed to extract the juice—to create a clean-burning biofuel that helps power our sugar manufacturing facilities.
The leftover sugarcane stalk is recycled and turned into biofuel that powers our sugar factory and refinery operations. Every ton of the recycled bagasse can produce the same amount of energy as 50 gallons of fuel oil.
Last year, Florida operations generated 299,308 Megawatt-hours (MWh) of electrical power, or enough to power more than 25,000 homes for a year.
A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
To our employees, protecting the environment is just as important as producing food. That’s because without clean air, soil and water, we would not be able to maintain healthy crops. Since our beginning in 1931, one of our top priorities has been the land we call home.
Since 1996, Florida sugarcane and vegetable farmers in the region have invested more than $450 million to restore and protect the Everglades. We recycle much of our water. The water that flows off of our property primarily goes south, and it leaves our land far cleaner than when it entered. Water flowing from the north side of Lake Okeechobee accounts for 95% of the water and nutrients in the lake. Our farmers and water quality scientists, laboratory specialists and engineers work with state and federal scientists and biologists to meet the highest water quality standards.
In 2024, the South Florida Water Management District once again recognized U.S. Sugar’s farmers along with other farmers in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) for excellence in improving water quality. Farmers in the EAA achieved a 46% reduction – bringing the 28-year average to 57%, which is more than double the amount that is required under Florida law.
Additionally in 2024, we continued ongoing research to quantify the progress we have been making on carbon reduction. Once completed, the analysis will show the progress U.S. Sugar has made over the last decade in greenhouse gas (GHG) measurement and emission reductions, helping to improve sustainability communications and quantify avoided emissions. Early results show U.S. Sugar increased its cane harvested between 2012 and 2023 by 34%, while reducing field GHG emissions per ton of cane harvest by 21%.
THE FACES OF U.S. SUGAR
The culture of U.S. Sugar is unique – we’re a family. Our people care about the Company, and our Company is a big part of the community. Our farmers and employees include generations of families dedicated to innovating and pushing the boundaries of our vision. Employees in the mill and refinery make the fine quality products that American families depend on. By celebrating the contributions of our team, we show them they are valued.
MAKING HR RESOURCES AND BENEFITS MORE ACCESSIBLE TO EMPLOYEES
During the year, U.S. Sugar introduced electronic pay stubs to all employees. Now, employees have access to electronically-available breakdowns of earnings, deductions and taxes, making it easier to understand their pay. This platform is a convenient way for employees to access their pay information and help them manage their finances more effectively.
Additionally, the introduction of three new medical plan designs for U.S. Sugar Savanah Refinery employees in 2024 marked a significant advancement in the organization’s efforts to enhance health care options. The decision was a strategic response to employee concerns about healthcare costs. By addressing the financial barriers to accessing primary care, the initiative has already shown promising results, with over 33% of Savannah Sugar Refinery employees enrolling in one of the copay plan options by year-end. We are planning to roll out the same copay medical plans to other U.S. Sugar departments in 2025 – taking an exciting step toward enhancing employee benefits across the organization.
In-person benefits fairs held at the John Boy Auditorium in Clewiston and onsite at the Savannah Sugar Refinery were significant events for employee engagement and health awareness.
These in-person benefits events reflect a proactive approach to employee health and well-being. By continuing these initiatives, the Company is working to foster a culture of wellness that can lead to long-term benefits for both employees and U.S. Sugar as a whole.
STRONG
ATTENDANCE
With over 600 employees attending the benefits fairs, this participation shows there is significant interest and engagement in understanding available health benefits. This participation is crucial for fostering a well-informed workforce.
BIOMETRIC
SCREENINGS
266 employees participated in biometric screenings, which are essential for promoting health awareness and identifying potential health risks.
EDUCATION
OPPORTUNITIES
The benefits fairs provided a platform for educating employees about their health options and resources. This knowledge empowers employees to make informed decisions regarding their health care and benefits.
GROWING TALENT,
RECOGNIZING EXCELLENCE
Our 2024 harvest lasted 248 days, which took our employees away from their families for long hours every day. Among our most dedicated Railroad department employees were the ones that did not miss a single day. In an effort to recognize excellence, they were rewarded on a job well done at the end of the season. The Railroad department employees who were recognized for perfect attendance were:
PERFECT ATTENDANCE DURING 2024 HARVEST SEASON
U.S. Sugar Railroad
Maintenance of Way
Melvin Bonilla
Doroteo T. Toribio
Thomas Walker
SCFE Railroad Track
Maintenance of Way
Thomas V. Clark
Victor W. Engel
Alberto Flores
Norberto Paniagua
Bartolome Rios
Marvin Rivera
Matthew Wiggins
U.S. Sugar Railroad
Operations
Juan M. Aragus
Benjamin Escorcia
Corey C. Ferguson
Richard A. Grooms
Noe Moreno
Antonio Rodriguez
Christian Rodriguez
Josue Simon
Wayne Webb
Scott T. Wright
SCFE Railroad
Operations
Adrian Arnold
Armando Herrera
Matthew Simmons
Daniel R. Tarter
SCFE Railroad
Operations
Bennie Cochran
J. Reyes De Santiago
Michael Hall
Alphanso Radcliffe
Steven Reed
Rolando Rios
JUSTIN CASASUS AND VICTOR GARCIA JR.
ISTA Students
U.S. Sugar launched the Industrial Skills Training Academy (ISTA), a three-year industrial skills training program, to attract high school graduates to learn mechanical skills. In 2024, ISTA added curriculum to allow students to specialize in skills specific to heavy equipment used in agriculture. The classes are taught by Company instructors, trainers from Palm Beach State College, as well as equipment vendors. Students focus on preventive techniques for maintenance in addition to repair work.
The program’s third class of students graduated in May 2024, and graduates were successfully placed into vacant Journeyman and Multicraft positions within Sugar Manufacturing. Interest remains high with 150 applications received last year.
BUILDING A MORE
SKILLED WORKFORCE
U.S. Sugar launched the Industrial Skills Training Academy (ISTA), a three-year industrial skills training program, to attract high school graduates to learn mechanical skills. In 2024, ISTA added curriculum to allow students to specialize in skills specific to heavy equipment used in agriculture. The classes are taught by Company instructors, trainers from Palm Beach State College, as well as equipment vendors. Students focus on preventive techniques for maintenance in addition to repair work.
The program’s third class of students graduated in May 2024, and graduates were successfully placed into vacant Journeyman and Multicraft positions within Sugar Manufacturing. Interest remains high with 150 applications received last year.
ISTA Students
JUSTIN CASASUS AND VICTOR GARCIA JR.
BUILDING A MORE
SKILLED WORKFORCE
U.S. SUGAR STORY
CYRIL JOHNSON
Welder
CULTIVATING A STRONG COMMUNITY
Each employee plays an important role in the fabric of the places we call home.
For U.S. Sugar, the idea of community is not limited to our headquarters in Clewiston. A large majority of our employees live near our farming area, and each employee plays an important role in the fabric of the places we call home: Clewiston, Moore Haven, LaBelle, South Bay, Belle Glade, Pahokee and beyond. During the year, we remained active through service in civic organizations, youth sports, local schools, hospitals, libraries, parks and churches. How do we measure our success in sustaining our communities? Not merely by our charitable support, but also in community service hours invested, leadership roles undertaken, and community projects completed. Here are just a few of the major organizations that benefited from U.S. Sugar’s civic leadership and charitable support:
U.S. Sugar Story
MOORE HAVEN
Glades County Fair & Rodeo (Chalo Nitka)
Glades County 4H
Moore Haven Junior Senior High School Athletics
St. Joseph the Worker Parish food pantry
Glades County Toys for Tots
Glades County Library
Glades County Sheriff’s Department
CLEWISTON
Clewiston Rotary
Refuse to Sink (mental health awareness)
Hendry Regional Medical Center Foundation
Clewiston Little League
AYSO Soccer Clewiston
Clewiston Tiger Boosters
Clewiston Christian School
Clewiston 4H
Hendry County Fair
Harlem Tenants Association
Clewiston FFA
First Tee Clewiston
Clewiston Sugar Festival
Catholic Charities Food Pantry
PAHOKEE
Palm Beach County Education Foundation
Tri-Cities Barbecue
Pahokee High School Robotics Team
SOUTH BAY
City of South Bay
Bay Festival
Rosenwald Elementary School
LA BELLE
LaBelle Downtown Revitalization Corporation Smoke Under the Oaks BBQ Festival
Swamp Cabbage Festival
LaBelle Cowboys Boosters
LaBelle Longhorns Pop Warner Football
Junior Pro Basketball
Hendry Regional Medical Center
LaBelle Country Oaks Elementary
LaBelle Chamber of Commerce
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 101000
BELLE GLADE
Boys & Girls Club of the Glades AYSO Soccer Belle Glade
Belle Glade Youth Baseball
Palm Beach County Sheriffs Foundation
Western Palm Beach County Farm Bureau
Glades Central Raiders Athletics Glades Day School Boosters
Belle Glade FFA
Torrey Island Barbecue
U.S. SUGAR STORY
BRANNAN THOMAS
Director of Community Relations
MOORE HAVEN
Glades County Fair & Rodeo (Chalo Nitka)
Glades County 4H
Moore Haven Junior Senior High School Athletics
St. Joseph the Worker Parish food pantry
Glades County Toys for Tots
Glades County Library
Glades County Sheriff’s Department
SOUTH BAY
City of South Bay
Bay Festival
Rosenwald Elementary School
CLEWISTON
Clewiston Rotary
Refuse to Sink (mental health awareness)
Hendry Regional Medical Center Foundation
Clewiston Little League
AYSO Soccer Clewiston
Clewiston Tiger Boosters
Clewiston Christian School
Clewiston 4H
Hendry County Fair
Harlem Tenants Association
Clewiston FFA
First Tee Clewiston
Clewiston Sugar Festival
Catholic Charities Food Pantry
PAHOKEE
Palm Beach County Education Foundation
Tri-Cities Barbecue
Pahokee High School Robotics Team
LA BELLE
LaBelle Downtown Revitalization Corporation Smoke Under the Oaks BBQ Festival
Swamp Cabbage Festival
LaBelle Cowboys Boosters
LaBelle Longhorns Pop Warner Football
Junior Pro Basketball
Hendry Regional Medical Center
LaBelle Country Oaks Elementary
LaBelle Chamber of Commerce
Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 101000
BELLE GLADE
Boys & Girls Club of the Glades AYSO Soccer Belle Glade
Belle Glade Youth Baseball
Palm Beach County Sheriffs Foundation
Western Palm Beach County Farm Bureau
Glades Central Raiders Athletics Glades Day School Boosters
Belle Glade FFA
Torrey Island Barbecue
Ridgway H. White, Chairman
Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Corporation; Trustee, Chief Executive Officer and President of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation; Member of the Board of Directors of Ayablu, Inc., d/b/a Burts Bee’s Baby; The Isabel Foundation; MFO Management Company and the Detroit Regional Partnership
Kenneth W. McDuffie
President and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation
Roy E. Peterson, Ph.D.
Retired President, Mott Children’s Health Center
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Frederick S. Kirkpatrick, Vice Chairman
Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Corporation; Trustee and Vice Chairman of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation; Retired Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of MFO Management Company
John K. Butler
Trustee and Chief Investment Officer, Patrick and Aimee Butler Family Foundation
Timothy C. Sanford
Chief Executive Officer and Vice Chairman of MFO Management Company
Todd L. Wiseley
President & Chief Executive Officer, Mott Children’s Health Center
Lizabeth Ardisana
Co-founder of ASG Renaissance and Performance Driven Workforce; Member of the Board of Directors, Clean Energy Fuels; Charles Stewart Mott Foundation; Michigan Economic Development Corporation; NextEnergy; Focus: HOPE; Kettering University; Metropolitan Affairs Coalition; Michigan Colleges Alliance; LeddarTech and the Council of Michigan Foundations
Eric S. Peterson
President, Eric S. Peterson & Associates Mortgage Lenders, LLC; Board Chair, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Mott Children’s Health Center
Horace Wilkins, Jr.
Retired President-Special Markets, SBC Telecommunications, Inc.
HONORARY DIRECTOR
William Piper
Retired Senior Vice President, NBD Bank, N.A.; Trustee, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation
Kenneth W. McDuffie
President and Chief Executive Officer
Michael Gorrell
Senior Vice President, Commodity Trading and Sourcing
Derek A. Pridgen
Vice President, Agricultural Operations
OFFICERS
Derek duPlooy
Vice President, Sugar Manufacturing
Carl Hogan
Corporate Controller and Assistant Treasurer
Elaine M. Wood
Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Chadwick M. Nicoloff
Assistant Treasurer
Eric L. Edwards
Senior Vice President, Public Affairs
Lucas R. Kurtz
Senior Vice President and General Counsel and Secretary
Neil F. Smith
Chief Operating Officer of Sugar Manufacturing
U.S. SUGAR PROFILE | BY THE NUMBERS | FROM THE CEO | WHAT DEFINES US | AGRICULTURE | ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES | SUGAR MANUFACTURING |CLEWISTON REFINERY | SAVANNAH REFINERY | RAILROAD | NEXT GENERATION ENERGY | A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE | MEET THE U.S. SUGAR FAMILY | GROWING TALENT | CULTIVATING A STRONG COMMUNITY | U.S. SUGAR LEADERSHIP
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