Pro Mach acquires Tekkra Systems

Cincinnati-based Pro Mach Inc., which formed its Flexible Packaging Group in 2013, has acquired the assets of Tekkra Systems Inc., Romeoville, Ill. The manufacturer of shrink wrapping and bundling machinery expands Pro Mach’s offerings including Matrix vertical form-fill-and-seal systems, Rennco vertical bagging systems, Toyo Jidoki pouch packaging systems and Inever stickpack and sachet packaging systems.

Tekkra Systems President Eric Vorm will join Pro Mach as vice president and general manager of Tekkra. He will report to Barry Heiser, president of Pro Mach's End of Line and Flexible Packaging Groups.

"We are enthusiastic about adding the Tekkra line," said Troy Snader, senior vice president of Pro Mach's Flexible Packaging Group. "Tekkra solutions are well-designed, high-performing products that deliver excellent value. They complement our existing offering and will allow us to provide customers with a wide range of high-quality flexible packaging solutions."

Tekkra's intermittent and continuous motion-bundling and shrink-wrapping systems deliver packaging automation for dairy, food, beverage and other industries.

Pro Mach sells and supports numerous flexible packaging machinery solutions across the United States, Canada, Europe and Latin America.

"This is an outstanding opportunity for our customers to achieve greater value from their packaging investments," said Heiser. "Our capabilities as a single-source provider for integrated products across the entire packaging line are unparalleled in the industry. That's a significant investment and risk reduction advantage for our customers."

Dairy suppliers honored at European Excellence Awards

Tate & Lyle received the Beverage Innovation of the Year award for its Promitor Soluble Gluco Fiber at the Food Ingredients Europe Excellence Awards 2013 held in November in Frankfurt, Germany. The global provider showcased the ingredient in a Raspberry Lime Tea drink to demonstrate that sugar- and calorie-reduction are achievable while maintaining body and taste through the addition of fiber.

Promitor Soluble Gluco Fiber has little color or taste and adds transparent bulking and fiber fortification. Highly soluble, it can be easily incorporated into a variety of products. The company says the product was developed to address consumer concerns about a lack of fiber in their diets.

Taking home the Fi Excellence Award for Sustainability Initiative of the Year was Symrise for its sustainable vanilla commitment in Madagascar. The global supplier works directly with more than 5,000 farmers. Symrise employees live and work locally and help the farmers to cultivate the highest quality of vanilla. Processing stages such as fermentation and extraction are kept in the country. Farmers obtain a stable livelihood and better living conditions and Symrise also supports school projects in the communities and provides health insurance coverage.

The company, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2013, also was awarded the German Sustainability Award in 2012. Symrise says it has integrated sustainability firmly into its business strategy given that consumers want authentic products with origins they know and trust.

News briefs about suppliers to the dairy processing industrly

Blue Diamond Growers’ global almond sales reached $1.2 billion, up $189 million in fiscal year 2012-13. Volume-added sales volume was up 14% and now represents more than 60% of the Modesto, Calif.-based co-op’s revenue, including manufactured ingredients and consumer retail products.

Alfrebro, a manufacturer of natural extracts and aroma chemicals, advanced proprietary technologies and expanded processing capabilities has been acquired by Wild Flavors Inc., Erlanger, Ky. Wild will further its development position and product lines to expand into unique flavors, extracts, and aromas as well as strengthen its health and wellness focus.

Chemical company FMC Corp. honored its 75th year in Rockland, Maine by presenting two $7,500 grants: one to Oceanside East Senior High School and one to Oceanside West Junior High School. Funds will be used to purchase laboratory equipment and educational tools for the science departments.

Tampa, Fla.-based Mettler Toledo joined the Organization for Machine Automation and Control (OMAC) and its Product Inspection Division will participate in OMAC’s Packaging Workgroup. Mettler Toledo Product Inspection provides checkweighing, metal detection, X-ray inspection and machine vision inspection technologies worldwide for food and pharmaceutical manufacturers and packagers and industrial manufacturers.

Expopack Holdings S.A .— formed in May 2013 by the combination of five leading packaging companies in North America and Europe — announced Coveris as its new company name. The sixth largest global plastics packaging company, an affiliated portfolio company of Sun Capital Partners Inc., produces flexible and rigid plastic and paper packaging, as well as advanced coatings for customers around the world. Coveris has revenues in excess of $2.5 billion and operations in 21 countries. The company says the new name speaks to its business, with “cover” evoking the quality of protection that is core to the company’s products.