Big US grain commodities trader and food ingredients processor, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), is boosting its presence in the Australian market, opening a new flavour creation facility in Sydney.
The 600 square metre state-of-the-art site includes two application laboratories where prototypes and samples of beverage, dairy, sugar and chocolate confectionery, and bakery products can be produced.
The North Ryde site, which includes a customer service centre opened this week.
It has a dedicated area for creating the flavours unique to the palettes of Australian and New Zealand consumers.
“We are growing our capabilities in the Australia NZ region so we can offer customers the full capabilities of our extensive flavors and specialty ingredients portfolio,” said president of ADM’s Wild Flavors and specialty ingredients business, Vince Macciocchi.
“We are already the go-to provider of flavours, ingredients and complete solutions for a wide range of customers across ANZ.
“As we expand our capabilities, we look forward to showing new customers why ADM is the best choice for their food and beverage needs.”
ADM, the world’s biggest corn crusher and syrup maker, bought the German-based Wild Flavours business for about $3 billion in 2014, outbidding Japan’s Ajinomoto Company to expand its overseas markets for food and drinks made with more natural materials.
At the time the deal was expected to beef up ADM’s flavour ingredients business to generate about $2.5b in annual revenue.
Illinois-based ADM is one of the world’s largest agricultural processors and food ingredient makers, supplying food, animal feed, industrial and energy markets.
It made headlines in Australia with a contentious bid to buy GrainCorp in 2012, with that battle running a year before the takeover move was blocked by Treasurer, Joe Hockey.
Last December ADM finally offloaded its 19.9 per cent foothold in Australia’s biggest listed agribusiness saying it had carefully considered its equity investment position in GrainCorp and determined the company’s long-term returns objectives would be best served by reallocating the capital.
ADM boasts about 32,000 employees and customers in more than 160 countries.
It buys crops in about 500 crop procurement locations, including Australia, and has 250 ingredient manufacturing facilities, plus a significant rail and barge transportation network to move grain in Europe, the US and South America.
The new flavour creation and customer innovation centre, is one of 38 innovation facilities worldwide.
It will allow ADM to work more closely with customers’ food and beverage solution needs, according to Australian and NZ managing director of Wild Flavours, specialty ingredients and corn businesses, Bram van Hulsen.