World Grain - January 2023 - 73

WORLD GRAIN ARCHIVE
1983
Jean Vilgrain, of the great figures
of the French flour trade, has died
at the age of 75. Vilgrain devoted
his life to the expansion of Grands
Moulins de Paris, of which he became
chairman in 1959, having
succeeded his uncle, Louis. Under
his guidance, the group grew internationally,
first in expanding flour
exports to the whole world, and,
secondly, in broadening its activities,
particularly in the cattle feed
sector and in the creation of SOMIDIAA,
an engineering company
of which he remained chairman until
his death. The company now has
22 mills, 14 of which are in France
and the remainder in Africa.
The building of 10 new modern
bakeries for China is being considered
by the country's Ministry
of Light Industry. They would be
patterned after the model bakery in
Beijing, sponsored by US Wheat
Associates. Ministry officials estimate
that, within three to five years,
China will have between 10 and 20
new bakeries.
David Suderman has been appointed
director of market development
for the Canadian Wheat Board. He
joined the board in 1970 as director
of the new information department
being established at that time. He
has been succeeded as director of
information by John Morriss, who
started with the board as an information
officer in 1977.
1993
Dr. Richard Hahn has been named
head of the Department of Grain
Science and Industry at Kansas
State University. Hahn has been
head of the KSU-based Kansas Value
Added Center since 1989. In his
new position, he will provide leadership
for educational programs.
SAIPOL, a company specializing in
vegetable oil production, has erected
a new facility in Grand Couronne,
near Rouen, France. The production
unit has a crushing capacity of
1,200 tonnes per day for rapeseed,
sunflowerseed and soybeans. Prive
SA of Chalons-Sur-Marne, France,
provided three 2,000-cubic-meter
metal storage bins for the project.
2003
Associated British Foods PLC
(ABF) has reached agreement, subject
to approval from the UK Office
of Fair Trading, to sell part of
its Allied Mills business to ADM
Milling Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary
of Archer Daniels Midland
Co. (ADM). The parts of the business
to be sold to ADM, which includes
six flour mills, generated
sales outside the ABF group from
January to mid-September 2002 of
$150 million and had net tangible
assets of $65 million on Sept. 14,
2002. ADM currently operates flour
mills in the United States, Canada,
the Caribbean and the United Kingdom.
Premier
Tech has announced the
acquisition of UK-based Chronos
Holdings Ltd., a move that positions
Premier Tech's packaging
business area amongst the world's
top five players in the field of flexible
industrial packaging equipment.
Earnings are projected to rise
from approximately $25.7 million
to nearly $64.2 million on an annualized
basis.
2013
Nisshin Flour Milling Inc., a subsidiary
of Tokyo-based Nisshin
Seifun Group Inc., has agreed to acquire
Goodman Fielder's Champion
flour milling business in New Zealand
for $51 million. According to
the company's website, Champion
Flour Mills produces approximately
60% of New Zealand's flour and
cereal-based products at two milling
sites in Christchurch and Mount
Maunganui. The company's product
World-Grain.com / World Grain / January 2023
range includes flours, meals, bread
and cake mixes, margarines, shortenings
and a variety of other baking
ingredients. Goodman Fielder said
it will retain the business where it
sells flour to retailers, in-store bakeries
and hot bread shops. Nisshin
said it intends to retain all existing
staff.
Glencore International PLC and
Viterra Inc. announced on Dec. 17
that Glencore has completed the acquisition
of Viterra. Glencore noted
that this acquisition brings Glencore
immediate critical mass in the key
grain markets of North America and
also materially expands Glencore's
existing operations in Australia.
Fran Malecha, formerly chief operating
officer of Viterra, has been
appointed director, agricultural
products, North America, with responsibility
for all North American
operations.
Richardson International Ltd. announced
on Dec. 21 that it has received
confirmation from the Competition
Bureau that it may proceed
to close its transaction with Glencore.
Richardson announced that
it had reached an agreement with
Glencore to acquire in excess of
C$800 million worth of Viterra assets,
including grain handling, crop
input and processing assets following
Glencore's successful acquisition
of Viterra.
Archer Daniels Midland Co. (ADM)
announced on Dec. 17 that it has
sold its 23% interest in Gruma SAB
de CV and its equity investments
in related joint ventures for $450
million plus an additional contingent
payment of up to $60 million
in future contingent payments over
the next 42 months. While ADM
has exited from its ownership position
in Gruma, it said it expects to
maintain a healthy and strong commercial
relationship with Gruma
globally.
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World Grain - January 2023

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