Manufacturing

For the past 30 years, South African snack food manufacturer Frimax Foods has been using its local knowledge to provide innovative products to consumers across the country and beyond. Jane McCallion finds out the key to success for this family-run business.

Yousif Mirjan, managing director of Dubai-based marble contractor, Dar Al Rokham, talks to Gay Sutton about creating the architectural heritage of the future, and expansion beyond the Middle East.

Alpine Lounge, South Africa’s premium furniture manufacturer, has survived four decades of dramatic changes. Now, its flexible and innovative strategies are taking it through a whole new set of challenges.

DuPont has announced the start-up of its $500 million Cooper River Kevlar facility near Charleston, South Carolina in the United States.

The new facility is expected to add an initial 25 percent increase in overall global production capacity for Kevlar, with a 40 percent increase expected after continued technology developments over the next two years.

Praxair is the largest industrial gases company in North and South America and one of the largest worldwide, expecting global sales in 2011 to exceed $11 billion. Praxair India is one of its strongest subsidiaries, bringing to Indian customers a high quality service culture unique to Praxair globally.

US battery manufacturer EnerSys announced today it has entered into a definitive agreement to launch a joint venture in Germany to produce large format lithium-ion battery cells.

EnerSys will have a majority interest in the joint venture in cooperation with GAIA Akkumulatorenwerke GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lithium Technology Corporation (LTC).

Ireland’s Kerry Group has confirmed agreement to acquire the global flavours business of the US-based multinational Cargill.

Kerry, a Dublin-based ingredients, flavours and consumer foods group, will acquire Cargill Flavor Systems for around $230 million (approximately €171 million).

The deal comes following Kerry’s announcement in July that it was in exclusive discussions to acquire the Cargill unit.

Jaguar Land Rover has announced plans to create 750 new jobs at a new engine plant in the West Midlands, UK.

With an investment of £355 million, the project is set to significantly boost the economy in the local area and support the development of manufacturing and skills in the UK. Further jobs are also expected to be created within the wider supply chain.

The plant will manufacture new four-cylinder, low-emission petrol and diesel engines.

Alcoa intends to expand its Davenport, Iowa rolled products plant to meet rising demand from the automotive market.

Automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are switching from steel to aluminum in their drive to increase the fuel efficiency, safety, durability and performance of their vehicles.

Ireland’s Kerry Group has announced its acquisition of the German sweet ingredients and flavours producer SuCrest.

The Co. Kerry-based company said the move would significantly expand its sweet ingredients and flavours business in the EMEA region.

SuCrest has production and product development facilities located in Hochheim, Germany and Vitebsk, Belarus, as well as a sales representative office in Moscow. The company is a leading provider of sweet ingredients to the bakery, ice cream, confectionery, cereal and snack sectors in European markets.