The NORTH AMERICAN RENDERERS ASSOCIATION named KENT J. SWISHER as its incoming president & CEO. He will also serve as president of the Fats and Proteins Research Foundation (FPRF), the rendering industry’s research organization. Swisher will assume leadership upon the retirement of current NARA president and CEO Nancy Foster on December 31.

WISDOM NATURAL BRANDS, makers of SweetLeaf sweeteners and Wisdom of the Ancients natural foods and beverages, announced that company President MICHAEL P. MAY, Ph.D., has been additionally appointed chief executive officer. Formerly, he served as VP of business development, COO and executive VP prior to assuming his role as president in 2017.

WETZEL’S PRETZELS appointed KIM FREER as chief marketing officer. Recognized as a proven leader in the restaurant industry, she brings a wealth of franchise marketing experience across a portfolio of nationally recognized brands. In her new role, Freer will support the company’s continued growth, with enhancements to its menu, ease of ordering and digital infrastructure.

BURNS & MCDONNELL hired DAVID CAMPBELL to lead design and construction solutions for distribution and warehouse facilities throughout the U.S. automation and warehouse logistics market. Industry Leader Campbell will manage projects for a wide range of clients across multiple industries. Campbell has two decades of engineering, project management and automation experience. In addition to Campbell, Burns & McDonnell has assembled a veteran team of cold-chain logistics solutions professionals with nearly 175 years of combined experience in design and construction for prepared foods, protein, e-commerce, food processing, leased warehouse, food service and retail/grocer facilities nationwide. Team members include: Jeremy Klysen, Kelly Hyvonen, David Stephani, Joseph Scovronski and John Hatzung.

CRB has hired TAMMY MCCONAUGHY as the director of lean delivery. McConaughy has 18 years of experience in the construction industry and 15 years of experience applying lean principles to capital projects. She joins CRB most recently from JE Dunn, where she was a senior lean specialist, focused on coaching and supporting teams in utilizing lean tools.

YUM! BRANDS INC. announced that AARON POWELL, former president of Kimberly-Clark Corporation’s Asia-Pacific Consumer Business, has joined the company as global Pizza Hut Division chief executive officer, reporting to Yum! Chief Executive Officer David Gibbs. In this role, Powell will assume global responsibility for driving Pizza Hut Division’s growth strategies, franchise operations and performance.

The KRAFT HEINZ COMPANY announced that ABBY BLUNT, who has led the company’s Washington, D.C.-based Global Government Affairs team since 2012, has been appointed strategic advisor for government & ESG Affairs and advisor to the Board. After a distinguished 20-year career with Kraft Heinz, she will transition to this new role in a part-time capacity, allowing her to focus on the two corporate boards she has recently been asked to join, while still supporting Kraft Heinz initiatives. Assuming Blunt’s former position, BILL BEHRENS joins Kraft Heinz as vice president, global head of government affairs.

FORCE CONTROL INDUSTRIES announces the retirement of RICK FUHRMAN after an impressive 47½ year career. Through nearly five decades, he has held various positions within the company, mainly within inside sales as inside sales manager, traffic manager, and most recently as export sales manager.

MARS PETCARE announced the appointment of RUBEN CEJUDO to Mars Pet Nutrition North America’s leadership team, a division of Mars Petcare. Cejudo joins as vice president of the company’s North American Supply Chain, helping to enhance the company’s supply chain.

BECKHOFF USA hired RYAN DUSK as Northeast district sales manager. Dusk will oversee Beckhoff operations and continued growth in sales and market share in key Northeast U.S. markets. Most recently, Dusk served as regional sales manager for Mitsubishi Electric Automation, covering Canada and the Northeastern U.S.

Three companies, GIVAUDAN, BÜHLER and MIGROS, have formed a new entity, “The Cultured Food Innovation Hub,” in Kemptthal (near Zurich), to accelerate the development and market penetration of cellular agriculture products. There are many arguments supporting the mass suitability of cultured meat: meat without slaughter or factory farming, a significantly better climate balance, no use of antibiotics and ensured food security. The Cultured Food Innovation Hub will start operations next year.

BOSCH REXROTH has developed a marketplace in line with the app-based control platform ctrlX CORE, which features apps developed both by Bosch Rexroth and third-party providers and includes the option for users to create their own customized applications and libraries. As such, new automation and control functions can be added to ctrlX CORE at any time. The ctrlX Store provides a broad range of apps and enables users to set up a customized software system.

The winners of the PMMI’s 2021 TECHNOLOGY EXCELLENCE AWARDS AT PACK EXPO are CANOVATION, P.E. LABELLERS and HIPERBARIC. Canovation’s CanReseal is a can end design that adds threading just below the ubiquitous double-seam. This allows a metal closure to be screwed into the top of the can to create an air and liquid tight seal. P.E. Labellers’ Simpl-Cut, is roll-fed labeling, which solves two major weaknesses inherent in the design of traditional roll-fed labelers and has proven to offer exceptional performance and flexibility. Hiperbaric In-Bulk technology is based on a new HPP concept, in which beverages are processed in-bulk prior to bottling.

ADM unveiled the ADM Food Technology (Pinghu) Co. Ltd., a state-of-the-art, fully automated flavor production facility situated in Pinghu, Zhejiang Province, China. In another announcement, ADM reached an agreement to acquire a 75% ownership stake in PETDINE, PEDIGREE OVENS, THE POUND BAKERY and NUTRADINE (P4 Companies), providers of private label pet treats and supplements.

MULTIVAC is continuing its course of expansion in Asia. The company is constructing a new multi-purpose building, costing around 20 million euros, in the Japanese city of Tsukuba. Future areas of growth will include integrated systems, as well as the products from the FRITSCH and TVI business units.

TEKNI-PLEX has completed its acquisition of rigid packaging solutions supplier GRUPO PHOENIX, putting the company in a stronger position to broaden its market-focused, customer-driven innovations, especially in food and beverage markets.

ATS AUTOMATION TOOLING SYSTEMS INC. has acquired NCC AUTOMATED SYSTEMS, INC., a provider of engineered-to-order sanitary automation solutions and stand-alone precision conveyance equipment, for $40 million.

AVERY DENNISON has completed its acquisition of VESTCOM, a privately held provider of pricing and branded labeling solutions at the shelf-edge for retailers and consumer packaged goods companies.

YUM! BRANDS INC. completed its acquisition of DRAGONTAIL SYSTEMS LTD., a provider of technology solutions for the food industry.

Chewy will build a pet food and products e-commerce fulfillment center in Wilson County, Wis. The project is expected to be complete in fall 2022 and will create 1,200 jobs.

Flavorman, a beverage development company, broke ground at its new facility expansion in Louisville, Ky. The $8.5 million investment will create 30 jobs when complete in fall of 2022.

Domino’s Pizza broke ground on a new pizza production center in Merrillville, Ind. to serve regional restaurants. The $50.3 million facility will include a 110,000 sq.-ft. pizza dough production facility and warehouse, and will be complete by the end of 2022.

Mira International Foods, a snack food company, will establish operations in Beaufort, S.C. The $2 million facility will open in January 2022 and create 28 jobs.

Koch Foods plans a 400,000-sq.-ft. addition to its Fairfield, Ohio poultry processing facility, adding 400 jobs.

Coca-Cola Bottling is planning a $42 million investment to expand its bottling facility in Baton Rouge, La. The project will include an additional 120,000 sq. ft. of warehouse space besides packaging equipment.

Olymel LP opened a new pre-packaging facility at is poultry processing plant in St. Damase, Montérégie Est, Quebec. The new facility added 35,000 sq.-ft. and cost about $24 million.

Dell Cove Spices & More Company, a popcorn seasoning company, plans to move its operation from Chicago to a 7,000-sq.-ft. facility in New Haven, Ind.

Dr. Schär USA, a maker of gluten-free baked goods, broke ground on a 42,000-sq.-ft. expansion of its facility in Swedesboro, N.J.

Tyson Foods will invest $300 million to build a 325,000-sq.-ft. facility in Cane Creek Centre, an industrial park jointly owned by the City of Danville and Pittsylvania County in Va. The new facility will be used primarily for the production of fully cooked Tyson products like Any’tizer Snacks and Chicken Nuggets. FE