Weekly Roundup: Givaudan opens new flavors facility in India, Symrise honored for sustainability

08 Feb 2019 --- This week in business, Givaudan inaugurated a new flavors manufacturing facility in Pune, India, to meet the growing demand from customers in the food, beverage and healthcare segments of Asia Pacific. Symrise achieved the EcoVadis Gold status rating for its sustainability performance for the sixth consecutive time. Scot Bio announced that two former Executive Directors of Robert Wiseman Dairies plc have been appointed to the company’s board. Finally, Kräuter Mix will celebrate its 100th anniversary at Biofach in Nuremberg later this month.

In brief: Business
Givaudan has inaugurated a new flavors manufacturing facility in Pune, India. The CHF 60 million (US$59.8 million) plant is the company's most significant investment in India to date and further proof of its commitment to leverage growth in Asia Givaudan has inaugurated a new flavors manufacturing facility in Pune, IndiaPacific. The new 40,000 square meter facility will enable Givaudan to meet growing demand, while also complementing the company’s existing plant in Daman, India. According to Givaudan, this new plant will strengthen its capabilities in liquids compounding, powder blending, emulsions, process flavors and spray drying. Givaudan expects to employ about 200 people at the new site. Givaudan’s CEO, Gilles Andrier says: “We are delighted to open this world-class flavors manufacturing facility in Pune as the latest example of Givaudan’s long-term heritage and commitment to India. Our new plant will enable Givaudan to collaborate even more closely with our customers to deliver differentiated solutions and great taste experiences to the dynamic Indian market.”

In brief: Sustainability 
Symrise has achieved EcoVadis Gold status for its proven sustainability performance for the sixth time. According to the rating from EvoVadis, the company's “ecological, social and ethical responsibility is exemplary.” The Holzminden-based company once again met the requirements of the rating agency and maintained its leading position in the global chemical sector. Compared to the previous year, Symrise improved its overall result with 73 out of a possible 100 points. The performance achieved is especially high in ecological sustainability management and sustainable procurement, even with stricter auditing standards, according to EvoVadis.

In brief: Appointments & retirements
Scot Bio, an Scottish biotech business, has announced that two former Executive Directors of Robert Wiseman Dairies plc have been appointed to the company’s board. Martyn Mulcahy and David Dobbins both held positions of Group Operations Director and Group Commercial Director respectively on the main board of the stock market listed dairy business before its sale to Müller. In addition, Nick Trott has also joined the board bringing expertise from his role as Finance Director of Sorbon Investments. Sorbon Investments, which is owned by Michael Shanly, was a significant investor in Scot Bio’s recently oversubscribed £2 million (US$2.5 million) funding round, that also included investment syndicate Kelvin Capital, Investing Women, Oghma Partners and private investors in the UK and US. Both Martyn Mulcahy and David Dobbins are also early stage investors in Scot Bio along with Robert Wiseman, the former Chief Executive of Robert Wiseman Dairies plc. Tom Craig, Chairman of Scot Bio, says: “The new appointments to the board bring unrivaled  skills and experience in building businesses in the food sector. Scot Bio is at an extremely exciting stage with patented IP, significant new investment and an exceptional team of scientists behind it. With the guidance of our outstanding board we are looking confidently to the future.”

Dalziel Ingredients, a UK-based specialist in bespoke seasoning blends, cures and functional ingredients, has strengthened its sales team with two key appointments, underlining the firm’s commitment to customer service as it grows. Gill Skipper is joining as Technical Sales Account Manager, after almost 30 years working with Tulip Ltd. In her new role, Skipper will support clients on their product development. James Cowen will also become Technical Sales Account Manager at Dalziel Ingredients. According to the company, both these appointments reflect the company’s strong track record of growth, resulting in Dalziel’s major £2.5 million (US$3.2 million) expansion at its Felling, Gateshead factory and new product development center. Richard Wilson, Dalziel Ingredients’ Sales Director, says: “We’ve seen a sharp increase in demand globally for our bespoke ingredients products. These appointments demonstrate our commitment to customer service as we grow and we’re delighted to welcome Gill and James to the team.”

In brief: Other highlights
Finally, Kräuter Mix, a producer of herbal raw materials, is celebrating its 100th anniversary at Biofach in Nuremberg this month. The anniversary marks a milestone in the company's history and what it has achieved in a century. Bernhard Mix, the son of Christoph Mix, the fourth generation of the family to run the business, joined the management board in 2018. The third member of the management is Silke Wurlitzer. At the same time, new production and storage facilities were put into operation at both the Abtswind and the neighboring Wiesentheid locations to be able to serve industry and retail customers even better.

By Elizabeth Green