Weekly Roundup: Univar launches Global Digital Hub, Brakes signs WRAP’s UK Plastic Pact

10 Aug 2018 --- This week, Univar officially opened its Global Digital Hub during a Digital Day event for supplier partners. UK’s foodservice wholesaler, Brakes, has signed up to WRAP’s UK Plastics Pact, furthering its commitment to lead the foodservice industry in reducing its environmental impact. Fonterra is transitioning from coal to renewable energy at its Stirling site in Otago, New Zealand and First Milk is celebrating winning the English, Scottish and Welsh regional titles at this year’s International Cheese Awards.

In brief: Business
Univar has launched a new Global Digital Hub at an official ribbon-cutting ceremony at its Warrenville Campus facility. Featuring an innovative workspace with over 100 digital experts, the facility focuses on developing a variety of industry leading and transformational digital solutions. The announcement of this new facility coincides with the inaugural Digital Day event for Univar's supplier partners that was held on August 2, 2018. With the theme of "Collaborate, Innovate, Grow," the event was attended by over 80 supplier partners and showcased how Univar's new state-of-the-art Global Digital Hub is enabling solutions to enhance and differentiate the customer experience, to improve market reach and accelerate growth, and to create a superior partnership experience for suppliers.

The UK’s foodservice wholesaler, Brakes, has become the first foodservice wholesaler to sign up to WRAP’s UK Plastics Pact, furthering its commitment to lead the foodservice industry in reducing its environmental impact. The decision to join WRAP is a natural extension of Brakes recently launched 2ZERO20 campaign, which announced an intention to eliminate all problematic non-recyclable hard black plastics from its own brand products by the end of 2020, and will see Brakes continue to lead the foodservice industry in identifying solutions that have a sector as well as business benefit.

In brief: Sustainability
Fonterra has announced that it is transitioning from coal to renewable energy at its Stirling site in Otago, New Zealand. The move will reduce Fonterra’s coal use by more than 9,700 tons per year. With no gas or feasible alternatives available in the South Island, Fonterra has used coal in its plants to ensure it can process its highly perishable milk. Reinforcing the shift toward renewable energy, Fonterra has also surrendered its Mangatangi coal mining permit, divested nearly 50 percent of land acquired for coal mining and will no longer mine coal. The new moves are part of the pathway Fonterra mapped out with the government last year to achieve net zero emissions across its manufacturing sites by 2050.

In brief: Recognition & awards
First Milk, the UK's only major dairy company 100 percent owned by British farmers, is celebrating after winning the English, Scottish and Welsh regional titles at this year’s International Cheese Awards, as well as taking home a record number of awards and trophies. First Milk’s Haverfordwest Creamery was the biggest winner of the day – bringing ten prestigious cheese awards and four trophies back to West Wales. The Creamery’s Extra Mature Cheddar scooped both Golds in its category and the South Caernarfon Trophy for best Welsh cheese-in-show of any variety. Coloured Mature Cheddar won a Gold award as well as the Co-op food award for Best Mature Cheddar. Haverfordwest’s Red Leicester cheese was the star of the show – winning a Gold award in its category, as well as the Champion Red Leicester Trophy and the John Beckett Perpetual trophy for Champion Creamery Block Territorial Cheese.

In brief: Appointments & retirements
CHS Inc. (CHS) has named Mary Kaul-Hottinger as new Senior Vice President, Human Resources, effective September 10, 2018. Kaul-Hottinger brings deep human resources leadership experience to CHS, having served most recently as vice president of human resources for Ecolab's global businesses, where she and her team supported multiple business units with more than 30,000 employees in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Asia Pacific. Before joining Ecolab in 2007, Kaul-Hottinger served in a variety of human resource leadership roles supporting operating divisions at General Mills and Pillsbury.

Bunge Limited this week announced that Brian Thomsen, President, Agribusiness, has informed the company of his intent to retire from Bunge. Thomsen will remain with the company through the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition. Thomsen joined the company in 2004 and had led Bunge’s Agribusiness segment since May 2014, having previously served as Managing Director of the global Grains and Oilseeds product lines. Thomsen says: “This was a personal decision for me, and it has been my honor to have served this organization over the past 14 years. I am proud of the team that we have built and all the great work they have done, and will continue to do, to advance Bunge Agribusiness.”

Finally, the Board of Directors of WestRock Company, a provider of differentiated paper and packaging solutions, have announced the appointment of Colleen F. Arnold to the Board. This appointment expands the Board to 13 directors and further strengthens the Board’s expertise, breadth of experience and diversity, according to the company.

By Elizabeth Green