Smucker Co. Sells Natural Balance Business

The divestiture demonstrates Smucker’s strategy to prioritize investments and resources toward areas that the company believes will generate the greatest growth and profitability.

Morgan SmithContributing Editor, ProFood World

Jan 30th, 2021

Nexus Capital Management LP has paid The J.M. Smucker Co. $50 million to acquire its Natural Balancepremium petfood business. The deal includes petfood products sold under the Natural Balancebrand, certain trademarks, and licensing agreements.

The JM Smucker Co.

unPACKed Podcast: A Path for Women in Packaging and Processing

unPACKed Podcast: A Path for Women in Packaging and Processing

Listen as Lisa Rathburn provides success stories, inspiration, and tips that will aid women currently in packaging and processing or those looking to enter the industry.

Solve motion transfer problems with quality Rod End & Spherical Bearings

Solve motion transfer problems with quality Rod End & Spherical Bearings

Aurora Bearing Company develops key components for dairy machinery, high speed sorters and inserters, baggers and carton erectors. Aurora's engineering experts solve the most difficult applications using ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D certified products.

New PACK EXPO Competition Challenges Student Creativity

Hands-on experience is the name of the PACK Challenge game

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Schneider Electric Continues its Open Automation Journey

Plug-and-produce hardware-independent software and agreements with Claroty and Intel accelerate the new era of automation software.

The Paperless Process Recorder records process parameters like temperature, flow, and pressure, and uses the Legendary cloud-based software to securely store those records.

Digital Recorder Replaces Cumbersome Paper Charts

With its Paperless Process Recorder and cloud-based Legendary software, Anderson-Negele aims to digitalize—without necessarily reinventing—the recording of process parameters in food and beverage plants.

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CPGs Move More Manufacturing and Packaging Lines to Contract Facilities

A PMMI industry report reveals what’s driving growth in machinery sales to the CoMan/CoPack market.

PMMI President and CEO Jim Pittas

Solutions Abound for Industry Challenges

PMMI President and CEO Jim Pittas offers remedies to packaging and processing challenges overheard at the Executive Leadership Conference

Solve motion transfer problems with quality Rod End & Spherical Bearings

Solve motion transfer problems with quality Rod End & Spherical Bearings

Aurora Bearing Company develops key components for dairy machinery, high speed sorters and inserters, baggers and carton erectors. Aurora's engineering experts solve the most difficult applications using ISO 9001:2015 and AS9100D certified products.

Marel poultry-processing on display.

PMMI New Member Spotlight: Marel: A One-Stop Protein Processing Shop

Project management, well prepared employees, and Lean processes drive sustained global growth.

The Evolution of Robotics Engineering

Otto Motors and HP offer simulation and 3D printing technologies to improve robot performance.

MAB’s new facility makes Mike’s Hard Lemonade, White Claw Hard Seltzer, and other ready to drink brands and will provide increased capacity to keep up with consumer demand in the eastern U.S.

Mark Anthony Brewing Goes for the Gold Standard

The largest and most technologically advanced brewery built in the U.S. in the past 28 years, a 1.3 million-sq-ft highly automated, fast-track greenfield facility wins a Manufacturing Innovation Award from ProFood World.

Modern Rosie Riveter

Introducing the Emerging Brands Summit

This one-day event created for startup CPGs will launch at PACK EXPO International.

Getty Images Sales Meeting

Managing Salespeople in the New Normal: A Case for Micro-coaching

To build successful sales teams, we need to combat the perception that pro-active coaching is a form of micro-managing.

CPGs to OEMs: HELP | Economist: Demand and Unfulfilled Machinery Orders to Abate

At PMMI’s Executive Leadership Conference in April, a panel of CPGs told OEMs about the challenges they face and how machine builders can help. Meanwhile, an economist says one challenge—long lead times—should work itself out.

Nominate a mentor or other influential packaging pro for the Packaging & Processing Hall of Fame.

Packaging & Processing Hall of Fame Deadline Extended, Nominate Your Mentor Now

The prestigious Packaging & Processing Hall of Fame has extended its deadline for nominations for the 2022 Inductee Class to Friday, July 1, 2022.

Security Alert for Industrial Control Systems

U.S. Government issues warning about new cyberthreats that impact control systems and SCADA devices across industries.

More in Home

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Innovation Not Keeping Pace With Sustainability Demands

OEMs and CPGs agree that right now, packaging and processing technology hinders any significant sustainable solutions. Consumers and brands want it yesterday, but how?

Great Resignation Driving Employee Poaching

It’s a buyer’s market for job seekers as 81,000 left manufacturing from Aug. 2020 through Aug. 2021. Manufacturers are climbing over each other to poach workers to meet increases in production.

Matt Rendall, CEO and co-founder of Otto Motors, speaking at the Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston.

Moving Robots Into the Matrix

Otto Motors uses simulation to mitigate risk when deploying a fleet of autonomous mobile robots.

Students on Manufacturing Day do quality control checks on LED lighting systems on the factory floor at LumaSmart, a lighting manufacturer in Michigan.

Making Manufacturing Day Memorable

How OEMs can raise awareness for the industry, spark excitement for future generations, and solve the skillset shortage.

Steel Toes and Stilettos

unPACKed with OEM Podcast: Femininity in Manufacturing

Listen as Stephanie Neil outlines the challenges for women in manufacturing with “Steel Toes and Stilettos” authors Kathy Miller and Shannon Karels.

Technology makes manufacturing more efficient, but also creates vulnerabilities.

Hackers Shift Focus to Packaging and Processing

Pervasive new technology increases entry points for cyber attacks. Discover cybersecurity solutions at PACK EXPO International (Oct. 23-26; McCormick Place, Chicago).

Mergers and acquisitions are hampering collaboration.

Consolidation Threatening CPG-OEM Relationships

The shift in the CPG-OEM relationship from transactional to strategic collaboration has hit a snag.

Neither gas prices nor inflation, rising interest rates nor global conflict, will deter financially well-situated Americans from spending their way through the new Roaring 20s.

Economist: Improving Supply Chain, Easing Demand, Let Packaging Machine OEMs Catch Up

ITR economists forecast a soft landing—not a recession—in coming months as consumers ease out of the pandemic and the revved-up stimulus-era economy fades. This will allow the supply chain to recalibrate and packaging machine OEMs to catch up on orders.

Getty Images Digitalworkflow

The Workforce Undergoes Its Own Digital Transformation

Tools that will help manufacturers tap into and transfer knowledge across the organization.

Morrison Container Handling Solutions Adds Preventative Maintenance Agreements.

Morrison Container Handling Solutions Launches Preventative Maintenance Agreements

The company extends the power of its legendary Support Built In with the launch of Preventative Maintenance Agreements.

Xavier Gonzalez, Quality Manager, Formers International

Xavier Gonzalez Makes Quality a Priority at Formers International

Named as a 2021 PMMI Emerging Leader On the Rise Award Winner, Gonzalez is leading special projects at the packaging supplier.

Digital Workflow Tools for Knowledge Transfer Across Operations

J.M. Smucker, Covestro, Pretium use digital workflows for factory, field workers.