Sugaright: Celebrating 17 Years!

“I had a dream of becoming a sugar refiner and doing it differently than anyone else”.

Paul Farmer, CEO CSC Sugar

"I am focused on building on the foundations set in 2006 so Sugaright will continue being the supplier of choice to the global liquid sugar market."

Andy Moschea, CEO Sugaright

Prior to 2006, there had been no substantial innovation in the US cane sugar refining industry. for decades. A handful of large, legacy companies dominated the field. The color specifications for refined sugar embedded in the major US food companies were water white. To make this water white sugar required an enormous investment in refining equipment which created a huge barrier to entry for anyone else trying to compete in this space.

Believing that challenge equals opportunity, in 2006 CEO Paul Farmer approached a company making sweetened condensed milk with a new idea. " Could their product take a higher colored liquid sugar without any negative impact on the finished product?" The cost savings were compelling to this company. Specifications were changed, and our first two plants were built in El Paso, TX and in Joplin, MO.

On July 3, 2006 the first delivery was made from our El Paso facility. Seventeen years later, Sugaright continues to deliver to this customer.

Once CSC realized that if one food product could accept higher color, then why not others? And so, we challenged the industry to “Change the Way They Think About Sugar”. Using only a fraction of the energy and water used by the legacy refineries, CSC introduced Sugaright liquid sugar to the market in a range of colors. Innovative and sustainable food companies responded positively to this lower cost and more earth-friendly alternative to water white sugar. Sugaright 350 became the industry standard for almost all dairy products and non-dairy creamers and beverages in just a few years. Confectionary, beverage, cereal, condiments and bakery soon followed.

Microrefinery Strategy

However, our vision of “doing it differently than anyone else” did not just stop at the plant doors. Fully embracing our sustainable and lower cost model, we located our refineries close to our major customers taking immeasurable truck miles off the road along with the transportation costs and GHG emissions associated with moving sugar long distances.

In 2022, we opened a new refinery in Springfield, OH to meet the demand of our customers who wanted a Sugaright option closer to their manufacturing facilities.

All-Star Purchasing Supplier of the Year

This past year our efforts were acknowledged by the AllStar Purchasing Group when we were named Supplier of the Year at their annual conference.

“After the last several years, we all appreciate more than ever the importance of strong supplier relationships, and our members have that with Sugaright. Always willing to help others in a pinch, the Westport, CT-based company is an innovative sugar refiner emphasizing energy efficiency and environmental sustainability. Sugaright offers excellent service and pricing to our members, and we congratulate them on this award”.

BevRight: New Product Innovation

And in 2023, we turned our product development efforts to the brewery industry to meet their demand for a more sustainable option for hard seltzer. Attendees at the most recent meeting of the American Society of Brewing Chemists were introduced to BevRight, a higher color, lower cost and more sustainable option for sugarbrews.

Quality: The Non-Negotiable

We are also proud to announce that our plants received an average score of 95.17% during the 2022 SQF audit cycle.

At Sugaright, all of our refineries are certified by SQF Version 9 to food safety AND food quality assessments in the scoring. Additionally, SQF Version 9 includes provisions that showcase our commitment to a culture of food safety and operational excellence in food safety management.

Sustainability from Farm to Factory

Also in 2023, we expanded our sustainability team to focus on our Scope 1,2 and 3 GHG emissions. We joined the Supplier Leadership on Climate Transition where we will report our GHG emissions and identify opportunities for continuous improvement to reduce our carbon footprint.

We also continue to buy and sell substantial quantities of sugar certified to either Bonsucro or Fairtrade to ensure a responsibly sourced supply of raw sugar to our customers.

Innovation, sustainability, and our laser focused attention to customer needs, are the foundations of the success of our micro-refinery strategy. As we look back to where we were and where we are going, nothing would have been possible without our team of dedicated employees, customers, and suppliers whom we are proud to call our partners on this journey.

To the next 17 years!!!