Turkington APV of Goldboro, N.C., and The Peerless Group of Sidney, Ohio, have concluded an agreement to supply each other with selected products for the North American, Canadian and Mexican baking industries.

According to Turkington CEO John Lucas, “The agreement with Peerless enables us to offer Peerless mixers and dough handling equipment as an integral part of a Turkington APV bakery systerms. By partnering with Peerless, we are able to offer our customers total system solutions based on best-in-class products.”

In related news, The Peerless Group has launched a new Web site, www.ThePeerlessGroup.us, for its family of brands. The focus is on high content combined with easy navigation to provide useful information to the wholesale baking industry.

Tate & Lyle ANZ Pty. Ltd., London, has expanded its product portfolio to include a broader range of specialty food ingredients. On April 1, the company assumed responsibility from Danisco for the distribution of Krystar crystalline fructose in Australia and New Zealand.

In addition, the company now manages the distribution of Tate & Lyle food ingredients — including modified starches, polydextrose, sweeteners and acidulants in New Zealand — previously managed by Bronson & Jacobs. Tate & Lyle ANZ Pty. Ltd., which became operational on Jan. 1, also distributes ingredients for Nutrinova, Wild Flavors, Innova and SunOpta.

In other news, Tate & Lyle has signed an agreement to acquire an 80% holding in G.C. Hahn & Co., a German specialty food ingredients group. Founded in 1948, Hahn is privately owned. Its headquarters and primary operations are located in Lübeck, Germany. It also has production operations in the UK, the United States and Australia, and sales offices in 22 countries.

Barry Callebaut — the Zurich-based producer of high-quality cocoa, industrial chocolate and confectionary products — has begun a strategic supply and innovation partnership with The Hershey Co., Hershey, Pa. The cooperation will enable the companies to work together to drive long-term growth in the global chocolate market.

Under the agreement, Barry Callebaut will construct and operate a facility to provide chocolate for Hershey’s new plant in Monterrey, Mexico. Barry Callebaut also will lease a portion of Hershey’s Robinson, Ill., plant and operate chocolate-making equipment at the facility.

The partnership includes a long-term global agreement under which Barry Callebaut will supply Hershey with a minimum of 80,000 tons per year of chocolate and finished product. As a result of the agreement, Barry Callebaut’s production capacity will increase by 130,000 tons over the next three years. The total investment by Barry Callebaut will amount to about $50 million.

Koepplinger’s Recipe, Fort Wayne, Ind., turns 75 this year. The company is marking the occasion with a new gold package design for its bread and bun products.

Koepplinger’s Bakery was founded in 1932 by the Koepplinger family, which began by baking its “health bread,” made with bran. In 2004, the brand was acquired by Perfection Bakeries, also of Fort Wayne, Ind. Perfection now produces Koepplinger’s Recipe’s six varieties of bread and five bun products, and distributes them throughout Michigan.