•  Numeric Computer Systems Inc. (NCH), Hauppauge, N.y., has Announced the Celebration of its 40th Year as the Premier Provider of Supply Chain Execution Solutions Supporting the Direct-store Delivery (dsd) Process. Designed for the Demands of the dsd Market, ncs Automates Both Back-office Functions and the Requirements of Mobile Sales/delivery Workers. Focusing on the Fast-moving Consumer Goods Industry Including Baked Goods, Beverages, Dairy, Frozen Foods and Snacks, ncs Provides the Most Modern Technology to Allow its Clients to Reduce Costs and Deliver Results That Translate Into Higher Sales and Customer Satisfaction.

•  The Chesterfield County (Va.) Board of Supervisors has recognized Colonial Heights, Va.-based BluePrint Automation Inc. as the 2007 Business of the Year. Founded in 1987, BluePrint Automation is a worldwide leader in packaging automation with a focus on case packing, vision-guided robotics and line integration. In 2004, BluePrint Automation proudly announced the shipment of its 1,000th machine from its Chesterfield County facility. The company continues to grow and invest in Chesterfield County and is currently in the process of a 30,000-square-foot expansion.

•  Willoughby, Ohio-based The Kennedy Group has acquired the U.S. RFID label assets from NCR Corp., Dayton Ohio. The Kennedy Group’s RFID Solutions Division is a full-service provider of application integration solutions and services that assist in improving supply chain performance and meeting electronic product code (EPC) compliance. “This acquisition provides an excellent strategic fit for our company that we believe will allow us to grow our business even faster,” says Michael Kennedy, president and chief operating officer of The Kennedy Group.

•  Silliker Global Certification Services (SGCS), Homewood, Ill., has been accredited as a certification body for the Safe Quality Food (SQF) Program of the Food Marketing Institute (FMI). Silliker joins a handful of companies with the expertise and resources to audit suppliers and certify that they meet the rigorous standards of the SQF 1000 Code for growers, ranchers and other primary producers of food and ingredients, and the SQF 2000 Code for processors.

•  Control Instruments Group Ltd. had signed an agreement to merge its management interests with Matrix Vehicle Tracking Ltd. The new combined business will be listed on South Africa’s JSE Securities Exchange, subject to JSE approval. The businesses of both companies compliment each other very well; CI OmniBridge focuses primarily on commercial vehicle fleet management and Matrix on consumer vehicle tracking and personal safety.

•  Cherney Microbiological, Green Bay, Wis., has been certified as a Women’s Business Enterprise by the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). The WBENC requires businesses to complete a meticulous process including an in-depth review of the business and site inspection. The process confirms that the business is at least 51 percent owned, managed and controlled by a woman or women. Cherney Microbiological is a testing lab that specializes in product and environmental testing for routine and harmful bacteria. Cherney also coordinates several proficiency programs designed to help participants improve accuracy and precision within their own laboratories.  

•  Alcan Packaging Food Americas has completed the expansion of its Neenah Technical Center in Neenah, Wis. The $1 million expansion of the 115,000-square-foot facility has consolidated Alcan’s customer service teams with the existing R&D organization. The investment was designed to create needed space for R&D and an innovation center, and to centralize customer service for most of Alcan Packaging Food Americas’ North American operations.

•  Invensys Process Systems, Foxboro, Mass., has announced seven new wireless-enabled solutions and expanded global network implementation and support capabilities. These wireless-enabled solutions can be deployed at both the plant and enterprise levels to help improve overall industrial asset performance management. For more information on Invensys wireless-enabled solutions, visit www.ips.invensys.com/wireless .

•  Elk Grove Village, Ill.-based Fort Dearborn Co. has acquired the assets of Bowling Green, Ky.-based Renaissance Mark. The acquisition combines the two leading suppliers of “cut-and-stack” labels and expands Fort Dearborn’s scale and presence. With this combination, Fort Dearborn says the company reinforces its leadership as one of the premier label suppliers in North America.