//People News

AQUAPAK POLYMERS LTD, which specializes in polymer-based material technologies, has announced its new advisory board, comprising business leaders and experts in material science and the environment. The advisory board will provide advice and input to support Aquapak’s management team. Members include:

• DR. MARIJN DEKKERS, former CEO OF Bayer AG and former chairman of Unilever
• CHARLIE CREW, former CEO of SABIC Innovative Plastics 
• FRANKIE HOBRO, director and owner of Anglesey Sea Zoo and Marine Resource Centre
• SIMON WESTON, former director of raw materials, Confederation of Paper Industries (CPI)
• PAUL JENKINS, ThePackHub

Aquapak has successfully developed and commercialized Hydropol, a high-performance polymer that enables product design to provide its much-needed functionality while increasing recycling and reducing plastic pollution.

NVENIA, LLC, packaging solutions company within the Duravant family, announced the appointment of PAUL FERRANDINO as the senior vice president of sales. In this role, Ferrandino will be responsible for evolving nVenia’s capabilities in the development of key accounts and promote selling of the complete nVenia portfolio across all served end markets. 

KEMIN INDUSTRIES, a global ingredient manufacturer, has named JERRY SAVINO as technical services manager for bakery in the Kemin Food Technologies – North America business unit. Savino will provide internal and external technical support services as Kemin continues to expand and invest in its portfolio of clean label ingredient solutions that help bakers extend shelf life to keep products fresh.

FAIR FOOD NETWORK, a national nonprofit and investor, announced that KATE KRAUSS, current executive director and chief operating officer, will become chief executive officer in January 2023 as ORAN B. HESTERMAN transitions into a supporting role as founder and resident champion. 

BECKHOFF AUTOMATION continues to expand its business development efforts in the U.S. by hiring BUCK TANNER and STEVE BOELTE. The two new business development managers will expand Beckhoff market share by identifying strategic opportunities with new companies and increasing use at existing customers. 

IFF announced that NICOLAS GEBARA has been named senior vice president, Commercial and Flavors, Nourish, effective July 1, 2022. In his 23 years at IFF, Gebara has held various roles, most recently serving as vice president, North America for Nourish.

MARS CEO GRANT REID is retiring after more than eight years in that role for the company and 34 years in the industry. POUL WEIHRAUCH, global president at Mars Petcare, will succeed Reid as CEO effective at the end of September. As a result of Weihrauch’s appointment, Loic Moutault, president at Royal Canin, is to become Mars Global Petcare president, and Cecile Coutens will take over as Global Royal Canin president.

 FASI CEO John Walter (l) with cofounder and executive chair Dr. Christine Olsen.

THE FOOD ALLERGY SCIENCE INITIATIVE (FASI) named veteran healthcare research leader JOHN WALTER as CEO of the food allergy research organization. Walter had served as chief operating officer for FASI since January of this year.

THE J.M. SMUCKER CO. announced that MARK SMUCKER, president and chief executive officer, assumed the expanded role of chair of the board effective August 17, 2022. Mark Smucker will succeed RICHARD SMUCKER, who has served as executive chairman since 2016. Richard Smucker will retire as an employee of the Company on October 9, 2022, which will mark 50 years of service with the company, and continue as a board director. Additionally, effective August 17, 2022, Tim Smucker retired as a board director and transitions to a new non-voting chairman emeritus role on the board.

Utz Brands, Inc. announced two promotions to its executive leadership team. SHANNAN REDCAY has been appointed executive vice president, manufacturing. She was senior vice president, manufacturing. CHAD WHYTE has been appointed executive vice president, supply chain. Whyte had served as senior vice president, supply chain planning and logistics.

PAULA LAMBERT, founder of the MOZZARELLA COMPANY in Dallas, Texas, and BEV SHAFFER, a Cleveland-based chef, recipe developer, author and culinary instructor, will be recognized with the Grande Dame Lifetime Achievement Award by Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI) in October of this year.

Los Angeles-based FRESH BROTHERS named former CKE Restaurants Inc., executive RON COOLBAUGH as its new CEO. With extensive experience in global growth, Coolbaugh will oversee Fresh Brothers as it continues to expand with plans to move into new markets beyond Southern California.

Food solutions company SPARTANNASH promoted JEAN-PAUL “JP” CALABIO to the position of vice president, chief information security officer. Calabio is now in charge of information security strategy, ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and continually enhancing the company’s security posture.

WORLD FOOD PROGRAM USA named PILAR CRUZ, corporate senior vice president and chief sustainability officer at Cargill, and BRANDON ROCHON, chief executive officer of Kastner and chief creative officer of Fluent Group, to its board of directors. World Food Program USA has grown in recent years to meet the needs of the United Nations World Food Programme.

// INDUSTRY NEWS // 

FLORIDA FOOD PRODUCTS, an independent provider of natural ingredients, has reached an agreement to acquire Javo Beverage Company subject to customary closing conditions. Javo is a natural extractor of clean label coffee, tea and botanicals with a focus on beverage applications.

OTERRA, a global supplier of natural colors, announced the acquisition of AKAY GROUP, a natural ingredients manufacturer. Founded in India in 1995, Akay Group is a supplier in the natural colors and nutraceutical ingredients industry.

SAPPORO U.S.A., maker of Asian beer, and STONE BREWING, a craft beer brand, have reached an agreement for Sapporo U.S.A. to acquire Stone Brewing. 

EAGLE FOODS has completed its acquisition of the Helper main meals and Suddenly Salad side businesses from GENERAL MILLS INC.

B&G FOODS, INC. has formed four business units. The four newly created business units are:

Spices & Seasonings—representing approximately 18% of B&G Foods’ net sales, Spices & Seasonings will include, among others, the Dash, Weber, Spice Islands, Tone’s, Ac’cent, Trappey’s, Durkee and Wright’s brands.

Meals—representing approximately 22% of B&G Foods’ net sales, Meals will include, among others, the Ortega, Maple Grove Farms, Cream of Wheat, Victoria, Las Palmas, Mama Mary’s, Spring Tree, McCann’s, Carey’s and Vermont Maid brands.

Frozen & Vegetables—representing approximately 27% of B&G Foods’ net sales, Frozen & Vegetables will include the Green Giant frozen, Green Giant shelf stable and Le Sueur brands.

Specialty—representing approximately 33% of B&G Foods’ net sales, Specialty will include, among others, the Crisco, Clabber Girl, Back to Nature, Bear Creek, Polaner, Underwood, B&G, Grandma’s, New York Style, B&M, TrueNorth, Don Pepino, Sclafani, Baker’s Joy, Regina, Emeril’s, SugarTwin and Brer Rabbit brands.

ABB and RED HAT announced a global partnership to enable industries using ABB’s process automation and industrial software to scale rapidly and flexibly leveraging Red Hat’s enterprise platforms and application services built on Red Hat Enterprise Linux.

TATE & LYLE announced that it is extending its partnership with APC MICROBIOME IRELAND, a Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Research Centre, through a new two-year research project to increase understanding of how dietary fibers can affect the functioning of the gut microbiome.

CARGILL has signed a binding agreement to acquire DELACON, a company experienced in plant-based phytogenic additives. The move follows a five-year long partnership in “scientifically driven, sustainable customer solutions focused on animal health, feed efficiency, and performance,” says Adriano Marcon, Cargill animal nutrition president.

UNILEVER completed the sale of its tea business, EKATERRA, to the CVC CAPITAL PARTNERS FUND VIII. Unilever and CVC had entered into an agreement for the sale of ekaterra in November 2021, for €4.5 billion on a cash-free, debt-free basis; expecting to close later this year.

GOLD STANDARD BAKING, LLC, manufacturer of croissants and dough-based sweet baked goods, announced that 37 BAKING HOLDINGS LLC, in partnership with the Gold Standard management team, has agreed to acquire Gold Standard’s assets and continue its current operations in Chicago.

WILBUR-ELLIS NUTRITION has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire F.L. EMMERT, a manufacturer and marketer of nutritional solutions for the pet and livestock industries.

JBT CORPORATION has acquired ALCO-FOOD-MACHINES GMBH & CO. KG, a provider of further food processing solutions and production lines.

OMRON ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS named MOUSER ELECTRONICS INC., as its 2021 e-Catalog Distributor of the Year. This is the second consecutive year Mouser received the award, which is given to the top e-Catalog distributor in the Americas region based on multiple performance criteria.

MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC CORPORATION will invest approximately 2.2 billion Indian rupees, or 3.1 billion yen, in its subsidiary MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC INDIA PVT. LTD. to establish a new factory in India. Expected to start operations in December 2023, the new factory will manufacture inverters and other factory automation control system products.