Vi Fry (formerly LVM Rus)

As of November 2018, the shareholders of Lam Weston Belaya Dacha LLC are the Belaya Dacha group of companies and the international agricultural holding Lamb Weston Meijer.

Lam Weston White Cottage owns a potato processing plant, which opened in 2018 on the territory. Lipetsk Special Economic Zone As of November 2018, the plant's capacity is 100,000 tons of finished products per year, which are supplied by the fast food chain, and McDonald`s. Burger King KFC

Performance indicators

2024: Revenue growth 29% to ₽27,28 billion

The revenue of Vi Fry, a Russian producer of French fries, reached ₽27,28 billion in 2024, which is 29% more than in 2023. According to financial statements published in April 2025, the net profit of the enterprise increased almost 1.4 times and amounted to ₽13,34 billion against ₽9,7 billion in 2023. The figure exceeded the double-digit level for the first time in the history of the company.

According to Interfax"," both financial indicators became record in the entire history of the company. Wee Fry is a former subsidiary of Russia Lamb Weston Maijor (LWM), a Dutch French French French French French French French French French French French French French manufacturer.

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Фото: Freepik

The plant for the production of French fries was commissioned by LWM together with the Belaya Dacha Trading company in the Lipetsk region in April 2018. The production facilities of the enterprise, in which ₽8,7 billion were invested, are designed to process 200 thousand tons of potatoes annually.

At the beginning of 2021, Belaya Dacha Trading left the company's shareholders, selling its 25.1% stake to Vladimir Tsyganov, a longtime partner of the founder of the Belaya Dacha group, Viktor Semenov. In September 2022, the Dutch company LWM also decided to leave this business. Its share of 74.9% was originally on the balance sheet of the Wee Fry company itself.

Currently, the ownership structure of the company is as follows: 75.1% belongs to Vladimir Tsyganov, and 24.9% to the CEO of the company Irina Van der Berg.

To ensure the production of raw materials, Vi Fry owns VG (formerly LVM Pharming) in the Tambov Region, which grows potatoes. According to the financial statements of this structure, its revenue in 2024 increased to ₽363,35 million from ₽277,82 million a year earlier, and net profit increased to ₽14,18 million from ₽1,77 million, respectively.^[1]

History

2023: Investment of 13 billion rubles to double capacity

The largest producer of French fries in Russia, Vi Fry, is investing 13 billion rubles to double its capacity. The government of the Lipetsk region (the enterprise is located in this region) announced this in early August 2023.

By this period, the plant is building a second production line with additional potato processing capacity of more than 200 thousand tons per season. Subsequently, this will allow the factory to process over 400 thousand tons of raw materials and produce more than 200 thousand tons of finished products.

The largest producer of French fries in Russia "Vi Fry" invests 13 billion rubles in doubling capacity

In the agro-industrial complex of the Lipetsk region, projects are being implemented that are important for ensuring food security in both the region and the country. The production of frozen potatoes is gaining momentum, the market for these products is growing. Our farmers cope with the tasks set. For investors, we have created comfortable conditions that contribute to the expansion of production, - said the Governor of the Lipetsk Region Igor Artamonov.

In January 2023, LVM Rus LLC, which belonged to LVM SIS B.V. from the Netherlands, was renamed Vi Fry LLC. The new beneficiaries of the enterprise were top managers of the Belaya Dacha group Irina Van Den Berg and Vladimir Tsyganov. The company chose the We Fry brand to promote its products.

The government of the Lipetsk region reported that by the end of 2022, the Vi Fry enterprise produced 117.2 thousand tons of French fries and potato lobes. In the new season, which will end in June 2024, the plant plans to process up to 260 thousand tons of potatoes and receive up to 130 thousand tons of French fries and potato lobes. For the production of frozen potatoes, the Lipetsk region has been ranked first in Russia for five years.^[2]

2022: Lamb Weston Maijor sells Russian business to local executives

Dutch French French fries producer Lamb Weston Maijor (LWM) sold the Russian business to local executives. The deal was closed on September 13, 2022, according to the data systems. "SPARK-Interfax

According to Vedomosti, the LWM structure sold 74.9% in the largest Russian producer of frozen French fries, LVM Rus. This share belongs to LVM Rus itself. 25.1% remains with a member of the board of directors of a large agricultural holding - Belaya Dacha Group of Companies - Vladimir Tsyganov.

Lamb Weston Maijor (LWM) sold Russian business to local leaders

According to lawyers interviewed by the newspaper, according to the law, it is Tsyganov, despite the minority share, who is considered the main owner of LVM Rus. The law "On Limited Liability Companies" allows a situation where the share in the company belongs to it itself, says Forward Legal lawyer Yevgeny Afanasyev. According to him, all decisions in this case will be made by the remaining participant - that is, Tsyganov. When distributing profits, the share of 74.9% will not be taken into account, Afanasyev explains.

He also added that the law prescribes to distribute it to the remaining participants within a year or transfer it to third parties. If this does not happen, the authorized capital will be reduced by the size of such a share (74.9%), adds lawyer and partner of the Legal Group Vladimir Shalaev.

As Interfax reminds, the French fries factory was introduced by LWM and Belaya Dacha Trading in the Lipetsk Region in April 2018. The capacity of the enterprise, in which 8.7 billion rubles were invested, is designed to process 200 thousand tons of potatoes per year.

Subsequently, Belaya Dacha Trading left the company's shareholders, selling its stake (25.1%) to Tsyganov, a longtime partner of the founder of the Belaya Dacha group, Viktor Semenov.^[3]

Notes