Dallas-based Suiza Foods Corp. and Franklin Park, Ill.-based Dean Foods Co. announced they have signed a definitive agreement under which the two companies will merge to form a national dairy and specialty foods company with $10 billion in revenue. The merged company, to be named Dean Foods, will be well positioned to meet the needs of all customers, whether local, regional or national. The merger brings together two companies with complementary operations, products and distribution networks, and expands both Suiza's and Dean's geographic reach. Both companies share a common commitment to customer services, product quality and innovation.

EnteGreat, Inc. announces the formation of EnteGreat University to provide industry-based training for manufacturing. Based in Birmingham, Ala., classes are designed for IT, Engineering and Operations professionals in manufacturing companies. EnteGreat formed EnteGreat University in response to its manufacturing clients' requests for objective, industry-based information, and to fill the gaps left by manufacturers' current in-house and outsourced training resources. For more information contact Mark Cubine at 205-968-3050, ext. 115, or visit the company's website at www.entegreat.com.

In a March 6, 2001 ceremony, The Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute officially opened its Shanghai, China satellite office. More than 40 representatives from PMMI member companies, Chinese packaging associations and the United States and Chinese governments attended the event. The office was opened through a $400,000 grant from the Department of Commerce's Market Development Cooperator Program (MDCP).

Al Phillips, senior engineer with Rockwell Automation, was recently presented with an Engineer of the Year award from Rockwell. The award, Rockwell's highest honor, is presented annually in a competition that highlights the significant achievements among Rockwell's more than 6,500 _engineers.

The membership of the International Association of Food Industry Suppliers (IAFIS) elected six of their industry peers to serve on the 2001-2002 IAFIS Board of Directors. Each of the following directors will serve a three-year term, expiring in 2004: Lou Beaudette, President of Admix, Inc., Manchester, NH is the newly elected Processing Director; David Bryant, President/Owner of the david bryant company, Roswell, GA, is the newly elected Support Services Director; Michael Kays, President & CEO of Johnson Truck Bodies, New Lisbon, WI, is a newly elected At-Large Director; Dick Lacana, Vice President/General Manager, Global Packaging Machinery Business at Evergreen Packaging Equipment/International Paper, Cedar Rapids, IA, was re-elected as an At-Large Director; Camilla Nielsen, President of Nielsen-Massey Vanillas; Waukegan, IL, was re-elected as an At-Large Director; and Tom Riggins, Vice President of Marketing and Sales at Holmatic (division of Packaging Technologies), Davenport, IA, is a newly elected At-Large Director.