Our History

At the initiative of businessman Mr. Lair Antônio de Souza, in the 1970s, a group of investors began Sucorrico’s activities along the Anhanguera Highway, km 177, on the lands of Fazenda Colorado, with the core purpose of offering local citrus growers an alternative for selling their agricultural production.

In 1976, during a severe international price crisis in the FCOJ market and with the opportunity to capitalize on all investments made in the Sucorrico/Citrorrico agribusiness (the Group’s agricultural arm), Mr. Lair decided to sell the operation and redirect his investments and efforts to the fertilizer industry.

In 1996, amid a new demand crisis in the citrus sector, a group of citrus growers from the Araras and Limeira regions, once again led by Mr. Lair, designed and established, in the Araras Industrial District, what became known as Sucorrico S.A., a cooperative company where producers were co-owners of the factory, responsible for supplying raw materials and receiving full distribution of results among the members.

Once again, due to the opportunity to sell the business with high return on invested capital, the association decided to end the operation in 2004.

In 2012, in a scenario of high concentration in the orange juice industry and facing the possibility of losing more than half a million boxes, Mr. Lair, at 84 years old, was once again challenged to resolve this situation. With the opportunity to purchase an industrial unit in the city of Colina, he revived his entrepreneurial spirit and, with an investment of 20 million reais, recreated Sucorrico.

As most of the company’s own production was located in the Araras region, in 2013 Mr. Lair reactivated Sucorrico Araras, this time under the name Sucorrico Citrus Industrial e Agrícola Ltda. Starting with a project of 8 extractors, which quickly expanded to 15 extractors.

In 2015, following Mr. Lair’s passing, the Pasetti de Souza Family restructured the Group under a professional management model, through its Board of Directors composed of his heirs (his wife, Mrs. Maria Pasetti de Souza, and their four children).

In 2018, SIC (Sucorrico International Cooperatief U.A.) was established in Rotterdam, Netherlands, with the goal of storing FCOJ produced by the units in Brazil and delivering it in bulk to European customers.

Also in 2018, with growth opportunities in NFC (fresh juice), new investments were made at the Araras unit, adding four extractors and new PET bottling lines to supply this juice category to the Brazilian market.

Today, with the Group’s vision of professionalization, the Board of Directors includes three Independent Advisory Members.