Incorporated in 1963, KSE Ltd., (formerly known as Kerala Solvent Extractions Ltd) was promoted by K L Francis, M C Paul, T O Paul and A P George. The main activities of the Company are Manufacture of ready mixed cattle feed, extraction of oil from oil cakes using solvent extraction method and processing of milk and milk products.
The company came out with a public issue at a premium of Rs 20 aggregating Rs 2.43 cr in May '94, to meet part of the long-term working capital needs. The company markets its cattle feed products under the brand names K S Brand, Jersey and K S Supreme. The major buyers of solvent extracted oil made by KSEL are Hindustan Lever (HLL), Godrej Soaps, Ricco Oil, Tata Oil Mills Company (TOMCO), etc.
In 1995-96, the company started marketing refined sunflower expeller oil under KS Supereme brand for domestic consumption. The Company has won the Best Productivity Performance Award for the year 1996-97, 1997-98, 1998-99, instituted by the National Productivity Council, New Delhi in the category of Animal Feed Processing Industry. Further the Company also secured the MKK Nair Kerala State Productivity Award for the Year 1997-98 being second among Medium Scale Industries.
The dairy unit at Konikkara near Thrisur commenced operation on January'2000 and other unit at Thalayathy near Palani has started processing milk on March'2000. A children's information centre & park was constructed at Irinjalakuda at a cost of Rs.30 lakhs and was opened to public. A sophisticated 2000 LPD ice cream plamt is being set up in Konikkara unit at a cost of Rs.100 lakhs. The commercial production is expected in 2002-03.
The commercial production of ice creams started on 17th August, 2002 in Konikkara Dairy Unit. In 2005-06, the 200 TPD Solvent Extraction Plant at KINFRA Small Industries Park, Koratty, Thrissur District was commissioned on 31.03.2006. The Vesta Brand ice cream was introduced in Tamil Nadu markets in 2007.
In 2008-09, the Company increased 1000 Ipd production capacity of ice cream in Thalayathu Unit, which commissioned on 21st February, 2008. Further, the Fractionation Unit of the Refining Plant at Koratty Unit, for refining palm oil commissioned on 21 March, 2009. The 500 tpd cattle feed plant in Irinjalakuda commissioned on 14.07.2009. It commissioned another ice cream plant with 2000 lpd capacity at Vedagiri in March, 2011. A new silo for storage of material costing Rs 35 lakhs was introduced in Irinjalakuda Unit during the year 2011-12.