Experience PETKUS. History. Vision. Future.

A 163 year old successful and eventful history. Over 350 employees worldwide. Main headquarters in the same location since 1852. Six PETKUS regional headquarters. 24 PETKUS international sales and service centers. Countless patents and innovations. There are many reasons one should experience PETKUS—which approximately 100 guests from over 20 countries learned firsthand when they were invited by PETKUS CEO’s Mark Scholze and Luca Celeghini to Wutha-Farnroda on September 17, 2015.

„Experience PETKUS. History. Vision. Future. “– stood as the motto of the event, while guests enjoyed a day filled with new discoveries and surprises. Through interesting lectures, guided tours, and product demonstrations, guests gained insights into PETKUS‘ technology, products, and innovations.
This past year, a 3,000 m² large shipping hall was constructed—modelled after the modern, light-filled architecture of the offices and other buildings on the PETKUS campus. During the event, guests gathered in this very hall to witness a product exhibition featuring a wide range of sorting techniques. Impressive for all were the number and variety of the sorting machines—the presentation started with the classic Cleaners, moved on to the Gravity Separator, and finally reached the optoelectronic highlight: the OptoSelector OS 900i, an optical full-color selector, equipped with shape recognition technology and infrared cameras.

Interesting topics were presented in a series of presentations. The event opened with a presentation on „PETKUS Turnkey+“, the unique turnkey plant concept that combines technology and economic understanding. Thomas Kenny (manager of Turn-Key projects) explained the PETKUS-mastered complexity of turnkey plant construction: from the agricultural economic studies on building and utility planning, to the authorization process, to the final project management.  In his lecture, Mikhail Orlov (Global Director Russia) shared insights into the development of the seed industry in Russia, and called it „a vast universe of undiscovered chances in a new worldwide dynamic.“

The guests were visibly captivated and astounded during the tour through the revamped PETKUS Campus. The contemporary design of all buildings on the compound, the new developments and advancements of the machines as well as the great effort displayed by the PETKUS team left a lasting impression. In regards to the latter, we received a kind compliment from Hermann Kröger (product management and key account seed care at Cheminova Deutschland): „With the passion of the employees, which was perceivable, and the great effort displayed [… ] one need not, in my opinion, have any worries about the future of the company.“
The tour through the PETKUS technical center was a top highlight for the guests. In the technical center, one could experience up close the great detail with which the in-house development department researches and tests concepts on the new test stands. Projects and co-operations with renowned universities were presented, and the most recent developments of seed treatment technology and optoelectronic sorting were demonstrated by live test runs. The vibrating Fluidized Bed Dryer gave a sneak preview of the products to be launched during the upcoming Agritechnica. The newest member of the Gravity Separators – the G 20 – was also presented.

During the evening session in the new Innovation Center, guests were further convinced of the PETKUS team’s creativity and ingenuity. It became apparent that the new G 20 not only has a cleaning efficiency of nearly 100%, but also proves to be an excellent „Cocktail-Shaker“. As a welcoming gift, guests received a perfectly shaken cocktail, served right from the working deck of the G 20.
„That we are successful today is due to the fact that the right course was set many years ago. Seeds are increasing in importance worldwide.  Now more than ever is it important to never stand still, and to continuously seek innovation“, stated Mark Scholze during his speech.

He reviewed the 163 years of company history, mentioning and honouring exceptional experiences and companions. Dr. Ralf Jacob was honoured for his dedication and communication skills displayed prior to and during the privatization of the company. Dr. Jacob received a one of a kind sculpture from a Thuringian artist and the Communication Center was renamed the “Jacob House of Communication” in his honour. The keynote speech of the evening was given by Carsten Gerhardt (partner at AT Kearney GmbH) on the future of agriculture. He highlighted the topic in all of its facets, discussing current and future trends and running through possible future scenarios.
At the end of the day, everyone could agree on the great success of the event.  The guests experienced firsthand that the PETKUS philosophy and industry expertise are alive within the whole PETKUS team. 

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