VFI breaks new ground

After expansion: oil mill now supplies kernels and flour

Brothers Florian and Klemens (right) Rauch run VFI, which is now also breaking new ground beyond oil production.

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Markus Wenzel, stock.adobe.com)

VFI, manufacturer of brands such as Bona and Kronenöl, has invested more than 30 million euros in Ennsdorf and is now conquering new territory following the expansion of the plant. The edible oil producer from Wels now also produces seeds and flour at the oil mill.

The packaging is 100% recyclable - this is how VFI advertises the new eco-bottle for Bona vegetable oil. On the other hand, the edible oil manufacturer, which is also behind brands such as Ceres, Frivissa and Kronenöl, is attracting attention with its organic oil mill in Ennsdorf.

Friday saw the official opening ceremony for the investment, which cost more than 30 million euros and saw the family business expand its capacities and break new ground.

Sunflower seeds from the plant in Ennsdorf are supplied to manufacturers of baking mixes and the like, and the shells of the seeds are turned into biogas.

(Bild: VFI Oils for Life)

This is because VFI, which operates from Wels, is no longer concentrating solely on the production of oils, but is now also becoming a sunflower seed supplier. "We have already sold the first quantities and there are many interested parties," says Klemens Rauch, who runs the company, which has more than 290 employees, together with his brother Florian Rauch.

The finest kernels can be used by manufacturers of baking mixes or companies that pack nuts and grains, as well as muesli and snack manufacturers.

For meat and dairy substitutes
The oil production process also produces a protein-rich organic sunflower seed flour, which is in demand for plant-based meat and dairy substitutes or vegan spreads. "This is also a new line of business," says Rauch.