Company news 4361

Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based ingredient manufacturer Embria Health Sciences hosted a groundbreaking ceremony and reception for its new corporate headquarters in Ankeny, Iowa, on Sept. 8. The $10 million, 36,000-square-foot building on 5.1 acres will house Embria's manufacturing facilities and office space. The company has quadrupled its staff since the first of the year and plans to expand further. Construction is scheduled to be finished by July 2007.

Hauppauge, N.Y.-based nutraceuticals manufacturer Nature's Answer acquired Frog International, maker of Greens Today superfoods.

Supplement and functional foods manufacturer NHK Laboratories, based in Santa Fe Springs, Calif., was awarded NSF good manufacturing practices certification and ISO 9001:2000 registration, a new standard for dietary supplements quality, by NSF International, with help from Joseph Sorrentino of Lean Quality Systems.

Natural and specialty foods distributor Associated Buyers of Barrington, N.H., has finished its 6,000-square-foot expansion of the company's 24,000-square-foot warehouse. Future plans include a second phase of construction, an expansion of the corporate offices, located on the second floor of the warehouse, and a new walk-in cooler.

Contract manufacturing company Zumbro River Brand of Owatonna, Minn., has purchased a new facility in Albert Lea, Minn. The new facility will expand their batch agglomeration, extrusion and packaging services from those provided at their Owatonna plant.

ProCaps Laboratories of Henderson, Nev., donated $1 for every bottle of ProCaps supplements sold during a Sept. 15 special on the Home Shopping Network The donations went to Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Vitamin Angel Alliance to help prevent vitamin and nutrient deficiencies in nursing mothers and young children in developing countries. In addition, Vitamin Angel announced in September that it was named the first official charitable partner of the United Natural Products Alliance. The UNPA affiliation is expected to help raise Vitamin Angels' visibility worldwide.

Natural body care company derma e of Simi Valley, Calif., announced the launch of the derma evaluation feature on its Web site, www.dermae.net. The tool provides online consultation and personalized skin care recommendations.

My Family Farm, the Fort Thomas, Ky.-based producer of natural and organic cookies and crackers, named Prevent Child Abuse America as the company's new charity partner. PCA America will receive the net profits generated from My Family Farm's sales. The contributions will help the child safety organization support 100,000 families every year.

Natural Foods Merchandiser volume XXVII/number 11/p. 46-47