SUPPLIER NEWS

Robert Bunting follows in the footsteps of his grandfather and father with his appointment as Bunting’s president and chief executive officer. On October 1, Robert succeeded his father, Bob Bunting, in overseeing the continued growth of the global Bunting group. Bob Bunting will assume the position of chairman.

Rosann Bagin has signed on as SOMIC Packaging’s Midwest regional sales manager. Working from the Milwaukee area, she reports to CEO Peter Fox. Bagin fills a new position at SOMIC after enjoying immense success in the territory. She began her first job in packaging with Hayssen in 1990, and over the last 32 years has represented various companies while based in the Midwest. Responsible for selling case packers, tray formers, cartoners, and other machines—automated equipment that SOMIC manufactures and services—her client list includes contacts at many Fortune 500 companies.

Stellar has announced the completion and opening of the Rubix Foods Innovation Center in Jacksonville, Florida, for client Rubix Foods, a culinary and food science-focused provider of flavor and functional ingredients. The facility celebrated its grand opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday, September 20, attended by representatives from Rubix Foods, Arbor Investments, Box Studios, and Stellar. Stellar designed and constructed the 50,000-square-foot facility where Rubix Foods will partner with its customers to streamline and accelerate their food technology innovation. The facility will also serve as Rubix Foods’ new corporate headquarters.

Healthy Food Ingredients (HFI) has announced that Michael Todd has joined the company as CEO. Todd will lead HFI’s focus on sustainably sourced on-trend ingredients, bringing innovation to customers. Todd brings extensive industry experience from previously held executive positions at SunOpta, ADM, and most recently as CEO of Nutriati. His visionary leadership will advance HFI’s mission, with a focus on sustainability and regenerative agriculture while providing functional, value-added solutions.

The world's third-largest flexible packaging manufacturer is investing more than EUR 80 million in its Constantia Teich facility in Austria. The key elements are a new rolling mill and another lacquering line, allowing the group to capture growth opportunities in the aluminum market whilst securing the supply chain. This also represents a further investment in sustainability by lowering the CO2 footprint, powering the rolling mill with green electricity, and adding solar power generation.

IFF has announced that Ralf Finzel has been named executive vice president and global operations officer, effective November 1. He succeeds Francisco Fortanet, who will be leaving the company following a transition period. With this appointment, Finzel becomes a member of IFF’s executive committee and will be based in the company’s New York City headquarters. Finzel most recently served as vice president of integrated supply chain for Honeywell International Performance Materials and Technologies Business Group in Houston. He first joined Honeywell in Germany as an operations manager in 1999, and his many successes led to roles of increasing responsibility and scope in Europe and the U.S. Prior to joining Honeywell, he worked in research and plant management roles for Hoechst AG.

Tate & Lyle PLC announced that it is supporting a new three-year research project by The University of Aberdeen’s Rowett Institute which aims to improve the understanding of the UK food system and help people experiencing food insecurity and living with obesity make healthier, more sustainable food choices. The University of Aberdeen’s Rowett Institute has been awarded £1.6m funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) to carry out the project, which will investigate how issues around poverty, food insecurity, and obesity may affect shopping habits.

CuliNEX announced Abla Jad has joined in the newly created position of chief financial officer. She brings nearly 10 years of operational accounting and finance leadership to CuliNEX and will direct the organization’s financial reporting, planning, and financing activities as CuliNEX continues its rapid growth. Jad has recently served at CuliNEX, leading special projects in financial planning, and integrating a new accounting software platform. She is also a member of the IronClad Consulting Services organization, bringing accounting and finance experience and forecasting skills to a diverse range of clients. In her new role, Jad becomes a member of the CuliNEX leadership team responsible for the accounting and finance functions, reporting directly to Mark Crowell, CEO.

Bartek Ingredients has announced the completion of the first phase of its $160 million malic and fumaric acid capacity expansion. The commissioning and start-up of the company’s new Maleic Anhydride Reactor system, supplied by MAN Energy at a cost of $20 million, will add 22,000 metric tons of capacity to Bartek’s existing three maleic anhydride reactors. Bartek plans to host a groundbreaking and formal ribbon cutting event with Canadian government officials and local community leaders at its new facility in the coming months.

Recognizing the importance of creating a more sustainable supply chain by which to meet the world’s growing need for food, Corbion has joined a collaborative effort to remove barriers to regenerative agriculture practices with financial incentives and technical support for farmers. Corbion is among a number of companies signed up to promote long-term soil health through a Cargill program that works with corn growers near Corbion’s Blair, NE, plant to implement sustainable farming practices. These practices help increase resilience to climate change and improve farmer economics/yields, in part through the use of cover crops. The corn dextrose from these fields serves as a major raw material input for Corbion, which funded 10% of the cost of the cover crop program.