California Dairies Inc., Visalia, Calif., said it ceased operations at its Artesia, Calif., manufacturing facility. The closure impacts approximately 49 employees.

“The Artesia plant has been a valued facility with a long history that has served California Dairies and its member-owners well,” said Brad Anderson, president and CEO. “This decision is not a reflection of the hard work of our talented employees in Artesia. As we navigate an ever-evolving marketplace, with shifting regional milk supplies, we continue to evaluate our asset network, and the products we produce, to maximize value to our customers and member-owners.”

DairyAmerica Inc., a Fresno, Calif.-headquartered federated marketing cooperative association organized for the purposes of marketing dairy products, announced the appointment of Patricia Smith as president and CEO, effective June 29, 2020. Smith recently served as the president and CEO of Valley Milk LLC, a privately held dairy processing and ingredient company. Prior to joining Valley Milk, she held key leadership positions with Roquette America and Fonterra.

Portland, Ore.-based Schmitt Industries Inc. said it closed its acquisition of the assets of Ample Hills Creamery Inc., New York, and its subsidiaries. Ample Hills will reopen nine locations in the coming weeks, rehire Ample Hills team members and reopen the Red Hook factory in New York. The investment and hiring plan will bring the Brooklyn ice cream company back to the community and benefit New Yorkers as the city recovers from the devastation of COVID-19, Schmitt Industries said.

The International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA), Washington, D.C., said it promoted Danielle Quist to the position of vice president, regulatory affairs and counsel, and Donald Grady to the position of director, legislative affairs, effective July 1. Both Quist and Grady serve as integral subject matter experts on IDFA’s Scientific and Regulatory Affairs and Legislative Affairs teams, providing IDFA members with state and federal advocacy and expert insights into current and coming legislation, regulation and litigation.

Ingredion Incorporated, a Westchester, Ill.-based provider of ingredient solutions, announced the completion of its rice manufacturing expansion in Banglen, Thailand. The expansion is part of the company’s ongoing investment strategy to support customers globally through the growth of its specialty food ingredients business.

Charlotte, N.C.-based SPX Flow Inc., a provider of process solutions, said it appointed Simon Phillips as vice president and head of its commercial business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Based in the U.K., he will lead all sales and customer relationship operations for SPX Flow in the region. Phillips joins the company with more than three decades of experience, including 20 years with General Electric in a wide range of commercial, regional and general management roles.

Aptean, a provider of mission-critical enterprise software solutions, announced the acquisition of Netherlands-based DIN Solutions, a full-service provider of specialized food and beverage enterprise resource planning (ERP) solutions for middle-market organizations in the Benelux region. Founded in 1982, DIN Solutions delivers purpose-built cloud software with the ability to scale on demand and meet the ever-evolving needs of its customers. Serving as a complement to Aptean’s recent acquisition of Schouw Informatisering, DIN Solutions has capabilities that streamline and process data with high efficiency, ensuring deeper transparency into the supply chain, Alpharetta, Ga.-based Aptean said.

ORBIS Corp., an Oconomowoc, Wis.-headquartered supplier of sustainable reusable packaging, said it is offering a new recyclable plastic material for use in a variety of its reusable packaging solutions. ORBIS’ Ocean in Mind program incorporates packaging made with recycled plastic material recovered near major waterways, helping to clean up coastline waste and stimulate local economies. Once collected, the plastic is sorted, reprocessed and used to make reusable packaging for the supply chain. ORBIS collaborates with customers to integrate this material into products to fit their specific supply chain needs and sustainability goals. 

Better World Naturals, a plant-based ingredient manufacturer with a vertically integrated supply chain to guarantee consistent, sustainable quality and authentic natural extracts, has become the world’s first ingredient manufacturer to earn Clean Label Project certification. Clean Label Project, a nonprofit organization that uses data and science to bring transparency to consumer product labelling, awarded the certification after subjecting Better World Naturals to its rigorous assessment process, the Shanghai, China-based company said.

North Falmouth, Mass.-based Teledyne TapTone, a supplier of inspection and rejection systems for the food, beverage, and household chemical markets, announced that it built and shipped its 500th T550 inspection system. Teledyne TapTone introduced the T550 in 2014 as the next-generation platform for low-cost leak, fill level, pressure and vacuum inspection. Since its introduction, T550 sales have steadily increased, with the 500th unit rolling off the production line in the spring of 2020.