The National Meat Association (NMA) and the North American Meat Processors Association (NAMP) made their consolidation into a new association official. This action sets in motion establishing a new North American meat industry trade association consisting of member companies of both groups, and the termination of NMA and NAMP as separate entities. The target date for the start of the new association is July 1, 2012.

Henry Broch & Company, a large US industrial ingredients sales and distribution firm, has established an office in Cochin, India to source ingredients throughout Southeast Asia.

Utz Quality Foods, Inc. of Hanover, PA acquired Michael Distributing Company of Cranston, RI.

James Moe and Brendan Terrazas were named blending supervisors at Wixon, a manufacturer of seasonings, flavors, ingredients and consumer products.

Louisiana Sugar Refining (LSR), LLC announced that Cargill and Sugar Growers and Refiners, Inc. have acquired all of Imperial Sugar’s interest in LSR.

Pump Solutions Group, a business unit operating within the Dover Fluid Management Segment of Dover Corporation, appointed Karl Buscher to the newly created position of senior vice president-PSG Commercial. The company also announced the acquisition of Tianjin Red-Screw Pump Manufacturing Technology Co., Ltd., located in Tianjin, China.

The board of directors of The Coca-Cola Company elected Richard M. Daley as a director of the company. Daley is the former mayor of Chicago.

New World Pasta Company entered into an agreement to acquire the No Yolks and Wacky Mac dry pasta brands and certain assets from Strom Products Ltd. for $50 million.

Bright Dairy & Food Co., Ltd. awarded the Flow Technology segment of SPX Corporation a contract worth approximately $40 million to establish a new dairy processing plant in Shanghai, China.

Florence Smith Powers, co-founder of Birko and the company's former president, CEO and chairman until retiring in 2001, died after a long illness. She was 94.

Berlin Packaging promoted Rick Brandt to the new position of executive vice president of sales.

Spirax Sarco is expanding its Blythewood, South Carolina operation to accommodate growth in its steam system solutions business. 

Intelligrated and SDI Group USA announced the launch of a new jointly owned and managed operation in São Paulo, Brazil.

Kerry Ingredients & Flavours is expanding its customer center of excellence in Beloit, WI to include a new cell science laboratory.

Edelweis (Kempten, Germany), a cheese manufacturer, chose Pilz Automation Safety to supply and update its controls.

Alltech promoted Patrick Charlton to the position of vice president, Europe. Charlton has been with the company for 21 years, most recently serving as European regional director.

The International Society of Automation (ISA) appointed Juliann M. Grant to the newly created position of social media community manager.