Claus Sauter took over the management of the agricultural trading company Alois Sauter Landesprodukten-Großhandlung in Obenhausen, Bavaria from his father in 1990.[5] In 1991, after the German reunification, expansion into the eastern German states (former GDR) began with the acquisition and development of agricultural and commodities trading companies. In 1995, Sauter produced biodiesel for his own use for the first time. In 2000, he built a transesterification plant in Bitterfeld, Saxony-Anhalt with his business partner Georg Pollert. This was followed by a bioethanol plant in Zörbig, which went into operation in 2004, and two production plants for biodiesel and bioethanol in Schwedt, Brandenburg. Together with the St. Gallen-based trading and plant construction company Swiss Bioenergie, the four production companies and sites of the Sauter Group were merged under the new umbrella company Verbio Vereinigte Bioenergie AG in May 2006. Sauter became its Chairman of the Board, and shareholders included himself, Pollert, two siblings and Claus Sauter's wife. The group employed around 300 people.[6][7][8]
In the fall of 2006, Verbio announced its IPO for October. The proceeds were to be used to repay state subsidies and expand production.[9]
The company's shares were listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange with effect from October 16, 2006. In the same year, the Sauter family acquired significant shares in the agricultural trading company Märka GmbH in Eberswalde, Brandenburg through its family holding Sauter Verpachtungsgesellschaft GmbH.[10] In 2009, construction began on biogas plants in Zörbig and Schwedt, which were put into operation the following year. 2010 saw the formal takeover of Märka GmbH by Verbio with a transaction volume of EUR 24.57 million.[11] In 2011, Verbio launched a pilot project for straw processing for biogas production and further expanded into Eastern Europe.
^Haas, Gisela (2006-07-22). "Sauter-Biokraftstoffe unter einem Dach" [Sauter biofuels under one roof]. Ernährungsdienst (in German). No. 55. p. 4.
^Lützenkirchen, C. (2006-08-11). "Wir wollen Verbio als Marke etablieren" [We want to establish Verbio as a brand]. VDI Nachrichten (in German). No. 32. p. 3.
^Reimann, Sebastian (2008-08-24). "Das Biosprit-Imperium : Die Verbio AG hat sich neu formiert. Das Ziel: Die Marktführerschaft bei Biokraftstoffen" [The biofuel empire: Verbio AG has reformed itself. The goal: market leadership in biofuels]. DVZ - Deutsche Verkehrszeitung. No. 101.
^Huber-Wagner, Daphne (2006-09-30). "Verbio optimistisch : Vor dem Börsenstart - Vorteil durch Erfahrung" [Verbio optimistic : Before the stock market launch - advantage through experience.]. Ernährungsdienst (in German). No. 75. p. 1.
