Blue Diamond’s Innovation Center

Blue Diamond’s Almond Innovation Center will open thisspring in Sacramento, California. The 6,500-square-footcenter will house the latest tools and technologies for thecompany’s food scientists. Labs are equipped to work onadvancements in roasting and almond flavors.

“The size of the facility, breadth ofcapabilities and modern technologiesset this center apart from any other inthe industry,” said Bill Morecraft, gen-eral manager of Blue Diamond GlobalIngredients.

“The facility will be the foundationfor and the incubator of new and excit-ing almond ingredient applications. We

recognize the importance that our customers place on inno-vation,” Morecraft continued.

The company’s goal is to be an extension of their clients’product development teams and to offer innovation for theuse of almonds as ingredients.

Day-to-day operations of the center are led by MikeStoddard, Blue Diamond’s director of R&D. Innovativeuses of almond ingredients from snack almonds to almondmilk, almond crackers and flavored almonds used as inclu-sions for applications such as cereal and yogurt will bedeveloped at this facility.

The Manufacturing Confectioner • April 2013 71

Frey hires senior VPChristopher (Chris) Mattina has joined Frey Enterprisesas senior vice president of business development. In thisnew position, he will work closely with current Frey clientson both sales representation and strategic consulting.

Mattina has more than 25 years of consumer packagedgoods experience including Godiva, Lindt, Brach’s Con-fections, Storck USA and Unreal Brands, where herecently was senior vice president of sales.

Frey Enterprises is an outsource sales force and strategicadvisory management team comprised of consumer pack-aged goods executives specializing in consumer brand sales.

NEWSMAKERS

Bill Morecraft

Innovation Center in Sacramento

NASFT now Specialty Food AssociationThe National Association for the Specialty Food Tradehas a new name: the Specialty Food Association.

The Specialty Food Association, based in New YorkCity, is a not-for-profit trade association for food artisans,importers and entrepreneurs. The association operates theWinter and Spring Fancy Food Shows, Sofi Awards for theoutstanding specialty foods of the year, Specialty Foodmagazine and education programs.

The name change is part of a larger effort to draw atten-tion to the $75 billion specialty food industry with newbranding that will be officially launched at the SummerFancy Food Show in New York City, June 30 –July 2, 2013.

The new branding is Specialty Food: Craft. Care. Joy. Allassociation branding will feature new logos and updatedgraphics.

The Specialty Food Association celebrated its 60th

anniversary in 2012. It was established in 1952 in NewYork City to foster commerce and interest in the specialtyfood industry. Today there are more than 3,000 members.

New president for AAK USA and Canada Terrence “Terry” Thomas has been appointed as presi-dent of AarhusKarlshamn USA and Canada and as a mem-ber of the AAK Group Management.

Thomas previously worked for Ingredion (vice presi-dent North America strategy and general manager, ingre-dient solutions) and for National Starch (vice president,general manager North America).

“Hal Grant, the departing interim president, has beenvaluable in the acquisition and integration of Oasis FoodsCompany during 2012 as well as through the challengesafter Hurricane Sandy,” said Arne Frank, C E O.

World Cocoa Foundation Partnership MeetingWashington, DC • June 5 – 6, 2013

www.worldcocoa.org