Candy Business articles from July 2005

Candy Business archives from July 2005

In for almost a penny.(sugar prices)(Editorial)
July 1, 2005... DURING THE PAST 25 YEARS or so, most folks have become resigned to the rapid pace of change that impacts every aspect of our lives. The mind-boggling strides in computer technologies are easily the first to spring to mind, and I'm pretty...

Kraft brand acquisitions spur Wrigley realignment.(NEWS)
July 1, 2005... CHICAGO -- Altoids, LifeSavers, CreamSavers, Sugus and a number of regional and local brands are now the official property of the Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. The company purchased the brands from Kraft Foods Global, Inc. in a $1.46 billion deal that...

Cargill boosts presence in sugar, chocolate markets.(NEWS)
July 1, 2005... SAO PAULO, BRAZIL -- Cargill Agricola S.A., the Brazilian arm of Cargill, Inc., has entered a joint venture agreement with two local sugar trading companies to acquire sugar and alcohol producer Acucareira Corona SA. The deal further bolsters...

Scharffen Berger joins Hershey's stable.(NEWS)
July 1, 2005... HERSHEY, PA -- The Hershey Co. will soon enter the artisanal chocolate marketplace with the purchase of Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker, Inc. The Berkeley, CA-based premium chocolate maker produces a range of high cacao-content dark chocolate...

Mars research might lead to medications.(NEWS)
July 1, 2005... MCLEAN, VA -- A Mars, Inc. research team says it has unearthed discoveries about cocoa's flavonols that show the compounds might be helpful in treating diabetes, stroke, vascular disease and dementia. The company plans to work with the...

Cadbury posts robust first half results, best in 10 years.(NEWS)
July 1, 2005... LONDON -- Cadbury Schweppes plc says its confectionery operations provided the cornerstone for its strong first half sales of $5.4 billion, an increase of six percent compared with the same period last year. Reported to be the company's best...

ACE sets attendance record.(NEWS)
July 1, 2005... CHICAGO -- Almost 20,000 people attended the 2005 All Candy Expo at McCormick Place. According to the National Confectioners Association, the three-day event drew 450 exhibitors from 30 countries. New this year were scanning devices used to...

Barry Callebaut profits rise.(NEWS)
July 1, 2005... ZURICH -- Barry Callebaut AG posted a nine-month profit of about $8 million, representing a 29 percent increase. Affected by lower cocoa prices and currency fluctuations, sales revenue for the same period fell 2.5 percent. In the cocoa...

Nutricore gets funding boost.(NEWS)
July 1, 2005... YORK, PA -- The National Center of Excellence in Foods and Nutrition Research (Nutricore NorthEast) has received a $55,000 matching challenge grant from Ben Franklin Technology Partners. The award marks the third time the group has received...

Warner buys Hyde & Hyde Candy operations.(NEWS)
July 1, 2005... ELK GROVE, IL -- Warner Candy Co. is the new owner of Hyde & Hyde Inc.'s confectionery brands and rebagging business. The Snak-Stop brand is included in the acquisition. Terms of the deal were not revealed. "This acquisition is consistent...

Gum arabic suppliers seek to stabilize prices.(NEWS)
July 1, 2005... KHARTOUM, SUDAN -- Delegates from Chad. Sudan and Nigeria met with gum arabic stakeholders, the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Bank to forge plans to stabilize world market prices by stockpiling the ingredient. Currently,...

Nestle leads the world in CPG ad spending.(NEWS)
July 1, 2005... RIVERWOODS, IL -- Nestle SA is expected to spend about $15.8 billion on advertising next year, an increase of 9.9 percent, according to the 29th annual Advertising Ratios & Budgets report by Shonfeld & Assoc., Inc. The study details ad spending...

Premium to lead European chocolate sales.(NEWS)
July 1, 2005... LONDON -- Western Europe's chocolate bar sales are expected to climb this year after increasing three percent in 2004, with sector growth spurred by premium bar sales. Market research agency Euromonitor reports that chocolate bar retail...

TC & C name change reflects growth.(NEWS)
July 1, 2005... MADE, THE NETHERLANDS -- TC & C Process Designers has changed its name to The Tanis Group. Managing Director Leo Tanis says the change is prompted by the company's global expansion into the bakery, health and snack bar and pharmaceutical...

Tray-Pak offers rapid prototyping.(NEWS)
July 1, 2005... READING, PA -- Concepts for new custom thermoformed packaging can now be quickly rendered in 3-D by Tray-Pak Corp.'s new stereo lithography capabilities. The prototyping service transforms 3-D drawings into physical models by transferring the...

Todd sells extracts unit.(NEWS)
July 1, 2005... NORTH BERGEN, NJ -- Frutarom Industries, Ltd. has purchased the A.M. Todd Co.'s Botanical Therapeutics business, a manufacturer of flavoring extracts for the nutraceutical, dietary supplement and functional foods industries. The operations will...

Silliker opens new west coast testing facility.(NEWS)
July 1, 2005... HOMEWOOD, IL -- Nearly 50 Southern California employees of Silliker, Inc. are now operating out of the company's newest testing facility in Cypress, CA. The 16,500-sq-ft lab is twice the size of the company's former location in Carson, CA. ...

Grupo Bimbo to buy chocolate maker.(NEWS)
July 1, 2005... MEXICO CITY -- Grupo Bimbo SA de CV is purchasing the assets and brands of Empresas Chocolates La Corona SA de CV and its subsidiaries in an all cash deal valued at $43.85 million. Three production facilities, all in Mexico, are included in...

Calendar.
July 1, 2005... * THIS CALENDAR IS PROVIDED AS A SERVICE TO OUR READERS AND CandyBUSINESS ASSUMES NO LIABILITY FOR ERRORS OR OMISSIONS FOR COMPLETE LISTINGS AND TO SUBMIT EVENTS. PLEASE VISIT WWW.CANDYBUSINESS.COM 2005 SEPTEMBER 8-9 GLOBAL OIL & FATS...

Spreader-converger designed for fragile items.(NEW PRODUCT NEWS)
July 1, 2005... THE CARRYSMART LINE of spreader-convergers from Wire Belt Company of America are said to gently move products along the system's fan-type belt to position them evenly on either side of the conveyor centerline or along a lane-type belt. ...

Rovema to rep Hitech.(NEW PRODUCT NEWS)
July 1, 2005... ROVEMA PACKAGING USA now represents Italy's Hitech Systems in North America. The agreement, which extends Rovema's capabilities to include horizontal flow wrappers and other machines, allows the company to handle all aspects of Hitech's sales...

Thermal overprinter offers flexible packaging solution.(NEW PRODUCT NEWS)
July 1, 2005... DESIGNED FOR PRODUCT MARKING and coding applications on food grade flexible packaging, DataFlex thermal transfer overprinters from Videojet Technologies, Inc. are said to offer excellent print quality, low operating costs, flexible positioning...

Loders Croklaan delivers Omega-3s.(NEW PRODUCT NEWS)
July 1, 2005... SensoryEffects, part of the Loders Croklaan IOI group, is rolling out lipid-based inclusions and bits with shelf-stable Omega-3 (DHA/EPA) fatty acids derived from fish oil. Kosher and GRAS, the custom designed polyunsaturated fatty acids are...

Weber brings RFID labels to market.(NEW PRODUCT NEWS)
July 1, 2005... WEBER MARKING SYSTEMS, INC.'S new line of SmartTrak RFID smart labels are pressure-sensitive labels with embedded RFID inlays said to be suitable for encoding large amounts of information. Using fully tested and verified inlays from such...

Building toward a better future: from consumer attitudes to the future growth of the industry, this year's All Candy Expo educational sessions were loaded with valuable information.(CATEGORY INSIGHTS)
July 1, 2005... EYE-OPENING INSIGITTS INTO THE FORCES shaping the category were provided at the 2006. All Candy Expo educational sessions. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The slate of seminars and consumer panels for buyers and exhibitors, sponsored by Adams &...

Consumers have their say.(CATEGORY INSIGHTS)
July 1, 2005... EATING CANDY IS ABOUT GOOD taste, boosting energy, satisfying cravings, feeling good and relieving stress, according to consumers surveyed during special sessions at the All Candy Expo. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Investigating what drives...

Inside Blueberry Hill: by combining low-cost, high-volume manufacturing with a commitment to technology and the drive to be the industry's price leader, Blueberry Hill Foods is thriving in Mexico.(Blueberry Hills Foods)
July 1, 2005... IN THE FAR SOUTHWEST corner of Texas, El Paso crowds up against the southern flanks of the Franklin mountains and the borders of Mexico and New Mexico. To the south, Ciudad Juarez sprawls along the south side of the U.S./Mexico border in a...

Countering the counterfeit threat: opening up the potentially lucrative Chinese market has its risks, but there are ways to protect your interests.(SPECIAL REPORT)(Cover Story)
July 1, 2005... CANDY MAKERS HAVE HIGH HOPES for growth in China, as seen by the success of foreign brands, significant investments in production facilities and participation in industry trade fairs. But manufacturers should temper those hopes with a dose of...

Where customers are kings: at Dahl's Food Markets, selection, value and a deep understanding of customer preferences are key to the small chain's success.(RETAIL PERSPECTIVE)
July 1, 2005... EVER WONDER WHAT GOES ON in the candy aisle of a small, upscale Midwestern supermarket chain? To find out, CandyBUSINESS tracked down Mark Pearson, store director for Dahl's Food Market, Inc., in Des Moines, IA. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

New gum technology opens doors: while recently developed deposited and compressed gum technology spurs new product concepts, R & D continues to focus on functional, nutraceutical and medicated ingredients.(INGREDIENT OUTLOOK)
July 1, 2005... RECENT DEVELOPMENTS in gum base technology are delivering increased offerings of new flavor, shape and gum combinations, and opening possibilities for gum makers to explore and define a new range of confectionery products and brand extensions....

Sonoco builds the complete package: Sonoco's $2.8 billion packaging production and services portfolio delivers results on a global scale.(SUPPLIER SPOTLIGHT)
July 1, 2005... SONOCO PRODUCTS CO., a global provider of packaging solutions headquartered in Hartsville, SC, prides itself on its ability to take its customers' projects from concept to end product. The company's core businesses include both rigid and...

Managing diversity: by understanding cultural traditions and social expectations, candy makers have much to gain, and give, to a growing Hispanic work force.(RESOURCE CENTER)
July 1, 2005... NO ONE NEEDS a rocket scientist to realize that Hispanic newcomers to the U.S. are having a profound effect on candy makers' operations and American society as a whole. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For employers, dealing successfully with...

Penny wise, pound foolish.(CONFIDENTIAL)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... PENNY WISE, POUND FOOLISH. When a county administrator in Lorain, OH, filed a $47.79 expense report for the candy he bought to give away at parades, the county auditor refused to reimburse him, claiming there was no way taxpayer dollars would...

BMCC.(Tony Rufrano looks very much like Elvis Costello)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... CB'S MUSIC EDITOR Tony Rufrano, of BMCC, looks so much like Elvis Costello he has been given VIP treatment at night clubs. As proof, the lookalikes are pictured here at a recent concert, which got me to thinking about their resemblance and how...

They aimed for a world record, but they got a sticky mess.(Snapple Beverage Group Inc. got stuck by floods)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... THEY AIMED FOR a world record, but they got a sticky mess. A 17.5-ton Snapple popsicle succumbed to the summer's high temperatures in New York City, flooding Union Square and surrounding streets with rivers of sticky goo. The 25-ft high,...

Cheer up.(CONFIDENTIAL)
July 1, 2005... CHEER UP. High gas prices might have a silver candy lining. So many pay-at-the-pump customers are driving off without paying that some gas stations are turning off their card readers to force drivers to pay inside. Can you spell front-end...

It's probably time to pull the switch on WLTO-FM.(CONFIDENTIAL)
July 1, 2005... IT'S PROBABLY TIME to pull the switch on WLTO-FM, the Lexington, KY, radio station that tried to foist off a Nestle 100 Grand bar on the listener who won the station's big $100,000 call-in contest. She's suing, but she better move fast because...

So, how much do you really know about candy?(CONFIDENTIAL)
July 1, 2005... SO, HOW MUCH do you really know about candy? Are you prepared to humble yourself? If so, check out EAT IT!, the new candy and snacks trivia game launched by C-ME, LLC, and best of all--get a special CandyBUSINESS discount when you order online....

Faithful readers know I like a good stupid crook story.(CONFIDENTIAL)
July 1, 2005... FAITHFUL READERS KNOW I like a good stupid crook story, so what do you make of the woman in Germany who, wanting to take a bath in camel's milk, swiped one of beasts from the local zoo? Only one snag in her plan--she boosted a male camel named...

Hilde Schmidt Cultural Center.(CONFIDENTIAL)
July 1, 2005... SOME COMPANIES SPONSOR music acts, but caramel manufacturer Embare has its own company choir--and an outstanding one at that! Performing at the opening of the new Hilde Schmidt Cultural Center, named in honor of the late wife of one of the...

M & M.(and its marketing)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... WHY DIDN'T I think of this? I know it's a send-up, but $1,400 for an empty M & M's wrapper? That's where the eBay bidding stood at press time. But as the auctioneer points out, you can't buy one like this anywhere, since all the wrappers in the...

Cheers & jeers.(candy industries being awarded)(Column)
July 1, 2005... CHEERS To all who vied for the 2005 NASFT Outstanding Confection award. Fran's Chocolates Ltd. took first place honors, with tough competition from Charlotte's Confections, Dagoba Organic Chocolate and Knipschildt...