Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida

What Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida does

Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida is a member-owned agricultural cooperative founded in 1962, headquartered in Belle Glade, Florida. The cooperative aggregates sugarcane from small-to-medium member farms operating approximately 70,000–80,000 acres in the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) of South Florida — among the most productive sugarcane farmland in the United States. Its primary asset is Glades Sugar House, one of the world's largest sugarcane mills, which processes up to 26,000 tons of cane per day during a 150-day harvest season and yields over 400,000 tons of raw sugar and approximately 20 million gallons of blackstrap molasses annually. The 550+ full-time and seasonal workforce supports an annual payroll exceeding $30 million.

The cooperative's processing operation is differentiated by an integrated bagasse-based renewable energy system that displaces the equivalent of 31 million gallons of fuel oil per year, and a zero-discharge facility that recycles 850,000 gallons of water daily. On-farm best management practices have achieved a 55% long-term reduction in nutrient runoff. Daily harvest logistics involve 1,200 truckloads of cane delivered to the mill, with 500 acres harvested per day using single-row, combine-style harvesters operating in tandem with tractors and in-field wagons. Florida accounts for roughly one in every five teaspoons of sugar consumed in the U.S., positioning the cooperative as the country's largest cane sugar producer.

Revenue is generated entirely through B2B channels. Raw sugar is sold directly to sugar refineries and food manufacturing facilities across the U.S. and internationally, with products reaching dinner tables, restaurants, and food manufacturers globally. Blackstrap molasses is marketed east of the Mississippi River and exported to Europe, primarily for cattle feed. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is subject to commodity market conditions and negotiated contracts. The cooperative is led by President and CEO Matthew Hoffman and a Board of Directors elected from member-grower families; in April 2026, two long-serving directors retired after combined service of 70 years and were succeeded by third- and fourth-generation farmer descendants.

Name

Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida

Legal name

Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida

Website

https://scgc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida is a member-owned agricultural cooperative that processes sugarcane from 70,000–80,000 acres in the Everglades Agricultural Area into 400,000+ tons of raw sugar annually and 20 million gallons of blackstrap molasses for domestic and export B2B markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Raw Sugar Production

NAICS

Sugarcane Farming (111930)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Sugarcane Farming (AFAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Cane Sugar (Raw & Refined) (AFAJAAAA)

Keywords

• Raw sugar production
• Sugarcane processing
• Agricultural cooperative
• Blackstrap molasses
• Food manufacturing supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Belle Glade

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Raw Sugar Sales: The cooperative harvests, transports, and processes sugarcane grown by member farms. Raw sugar is marketed to refineries and food manufacturers domestically and globally. Produces over 400,000 tons of raw sugar annually (350,000-400,000+ tons per year). One ton of sugarcane produces approximately 220 pounds of raw sugar.
2. Blackstrap Molasses Sales: Approximately 20 million gallons of blackstrap molasses produced annually, primarily sold as cattle feed. Marketed east of the Mississippi River and in Europe.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida is an agricultural cooperative comprised of small to medium-sized member-grower farms that grow sugarcane on approximately 70,000–80,000 acres in the Everglades Agricultural Area of South Florida. The cooperative harvests, transports, and processes the sugarcane at Glades Sugar House — one of the world's largest mills, processing up to 26,000 tons of sugarcane per day during the 150-day harvest season — producing raw sugar (over 400,000 tons annually) and blackstrap molasses (approximately 20 million gallons annually) for sale to refineries, food manufacturers, and cattle feed buyers domestically and internationally.

Product overview

Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida is an agricultural cooperative that operates as a single unified operation producing raw sugar from sugarcane. Member-growers farm approximately 70,000 acres in the Everglades Agricultural Area, harvesting and delivering sugarcane to Glades Sugar House for processing. The cooperative's core product is raw sugar, with blackstrap molasses produced as a co-product. Bagasse, the fibrous residue from processing, is utilized as a solid fuel source for the mill.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Raw Sugar The cooperative's primary product, produced from sugarcane processing at Glades Sugar House, yielding over 400,000 tons of raw sugar annually. Sold B2B to sugar refineries and food manufacturers domestically and globally for refinement and use in food production.
• Blackstrap Molasses A co-product of sugarcane processing at Glades Sugar House, with approximately 20 million gallons produced annually. Primarily marketed as cattle feed east of the Mississippi River and exported to Europe.

Quantifiable outcome

• Produces 400,000+ tons of raw sugar annually, enough to serve 9+ million people
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Cargill: Global agricultural commodity giant with major sugar trading, origination, and processing operations. Overlaps as a counterparty, competitor, and benchmark for global sugar market dynamics affecting SCGC.
• Louis Dreyfus Company: Global merchandiser and processor of agricultural commodities including sugar. Comparable as a large-scale sugar market participant shaping the global price and flow dynamics that determine SCGC's realized raw sugar prices.
• Tereos: International cooperative group with significant sugar, ethanol, and starch operations in Europe and Brazil. Comparable as a grower-cooperative sugar producer operating at scale with byproducts (ethanol/energy) monetization strategies.
• Imperial Sugar: Long-standing U.S. sugar refiner and brand owner (Domino predecessor), distributing refined sugar to retail and foodservice. Comparable downstream customer/channel position to where SCGC's raw sugar ultimately flows.
• Südzucker: Europe's largest sugar producer and a farmer-owned cooperative. Comparable business model as a grower-cooperative sugar producer serving food manufacturers across multiple geographies.
• ASR Group: World's largest sugar refining group (parent of Domino and Florida Crystals). Directly comparable as a vertically integrated cane sugar producer/refiner with significant Florida and Caribbean operations.

Direct peers

• U.S. Sugar Corporation: Private Florida-based sugarcane grower and processor operating in the Everglades Agricultural Area. Directly comparable as a vertically integrated Florida cane sugar producer competing for the same acreage, harvest labor, and refinery customers.
• Amalgamated Sugar Company: Sugar beet grower-owned cooperative in the Pacific Northwest producing refined sugar. Directly comparable as an agricultural cooperative model producing sweetener ingredients for U.S. food manufacturers.
• Western Sugar Cooperative: U.S. sugar beet grower-owned cooperative producing refined sugar. Comparable as a grower cooperative business model serving the same food manufacturing and refining customer base.
• Florida Crystals (ASR Group): ASR Group's U.S. cane sugar arm, farming sugarcane in the EAA and operating raw/refined sugar production. A direct competitor in Florida cane sugar with overlapping customer base of food manufacturers and refineries.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida