Second chance for orange peel product manufacturer

The bankrupt producer of orange peel products, PeelPioneers, is getting a second chance. Rimmert de Jong, an experienced player in the food industry, is taking over the factory in Den Bosch. As former CEO of Royal Steensma, he has worked with the scale-up for many years. The factory processes 250 tons of orange peel every week into ingredients for both food and cosmetics. The ingredients are used in products such as Mayoneur mayonnaise and Two Chefs Brewing beer.

Of the 40 employees, at least twelve to fifteen will retain their jobs. More staff may remain on board, as the biochemistry branch is being taken over by the Spanish food technology company CEAMSA. Fiber production is also moving to Murcia, Spain. It is not yet clear how many employees will move there.

From startup to circular leader

Since its foundation in 2016, PeelPioneers has evolved from a startup to a leading player in the circular economy. Their innovative process, which converts orange peels into oils and fibers, among other things, originated in the factory in Den Bosch. This was opened in 2021. The success was made possible in part by the collaboration with Renewi.

At the end of last year, it became known that PeelPioneers was facing major problems. The company was in the process of scaling up production but lacked the necessary financing to complete this step. This led to bankruptcy.