Corn Products International, Inc. Westchester, Ill., and GTC Nutrition LLC, Golden Colo., have formed a strategic alliance to focus on specialty ingredients for the food, nutraceutical and animal feed industries. Corn Products International will acquire a majority ownership stake in GTC Nutrition and construct a production channel to produce GTC's short-chain fructooligosaccharides (scFOS) products in Ontario, Canada. The new production channel is expected to be operational by the end of 2005. The agreement will combine GTC's functional ingredient marketing focus with the production expertise and global resources of Corn Products International. GTC Nutrition will continue to market its current line of specialty ingredients to customers in North America, South America, and Australia/New Zealand. It retains its offices in Golden, along with its dedicated sales and technical support team.

Flowserve® Corp., Irving, Texas has named Wyatt International, headquartered in Birmingham, England, as its agency of record to lead the company's brand re-launch. Wyatt International will lead the strategy to distinguish Flowserve as a "branded house" that leverages the multitude of heritage product lines the company acquired from its activities as an industry consolidator over the past seven years. Wyatt will also help to further develop the company's core brand strategy, and then implement that strategy through a launch of new branding elements in the second half of 2004.

Zip-Pak, Manteno, Ill., announces that for the seventh year in a row, the American Institute of Baking (AIB) has recognized Zip-Pak's Orangeburg, N.Y., manufacturing facility with a Superior rating following its annual food safety inspections in February. AIB audits provide food manufacturers with an important benchmark for measuring the quality and safety of supplier facilities. A Superior rating is given to only a small percentage of plants inspected by AIB which are found to significantly exceed regulatory requirements. Since 1999, Zip-Pak's other facilities in Manteno and Atlanta have also received Superior ratings. All three plants have been awarded over 900 points out of a possible 1000 for the AIB Food Safety Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Audit.

Kidron, of Kidron, Ohio, has completed construction of its Montgomery, Pa., manufacturing plant, and has launched its operation for building bodies and trailers, according to Specialized Vehicle Corp., Kidron's parent company. Its first job is a large order for customized van bodies. Trailer production was to begin in early summer. Encompassing 238,000 sq. ft., the plant was acquired last summer, and is thought to be the most advanced truck body manufacturing plant in the industry. It features an automated conveyor line, a fabrication shop with a 400-ton press and an advanced paint system making it ideal for high-volume runs.

Kidron has three other plants in Ohio, Florida, and California.

Markem Corp., Keen N.H., a world leader in marking and coding solutions has been designated an environmentally responsive supplier for Sony Electronics. Becoming a Sony Green Partner required that Markem pass a rigorous on-site audit and it maintain a quality system to eliminate raw materials and contamination by those chemicals listed in the Sony Technical Standards in all products procured by Sony. Markem has continually worked to protect the environment, having met the Coalition of Northeastern Governors requirements 10 years ago by reformulating its inks to remove heavy metals.

Takasago International Corp. (USA) Flavor Division, Rockleigh, N.J. has earned a second place PRISM (Private Sector Multi Evaluation System) position in research and development, selected from the top 300 corporations in Japan. The designation was made by Nihon Keizai Shimbum Inv. (Nikkei), publisher of Japan's largest economic daily. The Nikkei PRISM is a much coveted citation which draws competition among Japan's most successful companies. The Nikkei recognition of Takasago's Research and Development capabilities follows the awarding of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to Takasago Director, Professor Ryoji Noyori of Nagoya University. This year, Takasago was outranked only by Mitsubishi Gas Chemicals, which claimed the Grand Prize. Takasago placed ahead of corporate giants like Fuji Photo Film, Nippon Paint, Sharp Corporation, Shimazu Corporation, Kanebo and Kawasaki Heavy Industries.

Resin Technology Inc., a web-based plastic resin pricing consultant with offices in Fort Worth, Texas, has enhanced its web services. The new features include sections devoted to data and pricing information, and a news ticker. To find out more, visit www.resinpros.com.

If you have a Supplier News item, send it to Chief Editor David Phillips at phillipsd@bnpmedia.com.