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Americana and Farm Frites to expand MENA footprint with $100 million investment (SAR 375 million) in a state-of-the-art Greenfield Frozen French Fries factory in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

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Located in Sudair Industrial and Business City, Riyadh, the Greenfield Frozen French Fries factory is set to commission at the start of 2026, making this establishment the second Joint Venture ‘JV’ partnership between Americana and Farm Frites in the MENA region, to produce a varied range of Frozen French Fries and specialty potato products.The new facility will contribute to KSA’s Vision 2030 and aid in advancing KSA’s food security agenda, boosting local production. By installing capacity in KSA, we aim to participate in advancing the local agriculture landscape in KSA, support and empower local potato growers to further develop their farming practices, enhance crop quality and improve their yields.

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Nov. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The Agricultural Growth and Processing Company, a subsidiary of Americana Holding for Food Ltd, is set to expand its business operation with a significant $100 million investment (SAR 375 million) in a Greenfield Frozen French Fries manufacturing plant in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Following a strong three-decade partnership in Egypt with Farm Frites, a global leader in the cultivation of potatoes and production of Frozen French Fries, the new processing factory will be established in Sudair Industrial and Business City, pushing forward our partnership with Farm Frites to greater heights.

To commemorate this significant milestone, the Agricultural Growth and Processing Company (Americana and Farm Frites) held a lease-signing ceremony on November 20th, 2024, with the the Saudi Authority for Industrial Cities and Technology Zones in MODON Headquarters, in Riyadh, in the presence of MODON’s CEO, and hosted a Groundbreaking ceremony in Sudair Industrial and Business City on November 25th, 2024, to mark the commencement of construction for the new Frozen French Fries processing plant. The event was attended by esteemed government and ministerial delegates, and key stakeholders, including local potato growers, valued global, regional and local customers and key strategic partners.

The $100 million investment is a strategic step aligned with the Saudi Vision 2030 plans to diversify the Kingdom’s economy, while also contributing to its food security agenda by boosting local production and creating employment opportunities for KSA nationals, local potato growers and farmers. The investment by the Agricultural Growth and Processing Company will enable the company to expand its footprint in KSA, wherein Americana has been operating for over two decades, with two factories in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Mohamed Ali Rashid Alabbar, Chairman of the Kuwait Food Company (Americana) KSCC commented: “We are excited to start the construction of our new Frozen French Fries plant in Saudi Arabia. Our partnership with Farm Frites dates back over three decades having been partners in Egypt since 1988. We are delighted to be renewing our long-standing relationship with a trusted partner, this time in Saudi Arabia, and are proud to be contributing to KSA’s Vision 2030 and championing efforts to increase local production in KSA. This was made possible through the vital support and collaboration of key government and institutional partners including but not limited to the Ministry of Investment, the Ministry of Environment, Water, and Agriculture, the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources and MODON, each playing a crucial role in our business expansion journey.”

Piet de Bruijne, Owner and Chairman of Farm Frites commented: “We are thrilled to once again join hands with Americana, building on a 30-year partnership of mutual growth and shared success. Among the 100 countries where Farm Frites is present in the world, KSA stands as the 5th largest market globally, reinforcing our commitment to the MENA region and to KSA’s growth and economic diversification. We remain dedicated to advancing the industry holistically, from agriculture and logistics to delivering superior value directly to our customers.”

The new facility will be established on a plot exceeding 100,000 square meters and will employ cutting-edge equipment and advanced technology to produce Frozen French Fries and other specialty potato products. The plant is set to be inaugurated in Q1 2026 and will have a total annual production capacity of 70,000 MT during phase one, with plans for future expansion in the future. Upon commencing operations, this will mark the second joint venture partnership between Americana and Farm Frites and with the new facility underway in Sudair Industrial and Business City, we are set to become the largest producers of Frozen French Fries in the MENA region.

Mohamed Safwat Moustafa, Managing Director of the Agricultural Growth and Processing Company concluded: “I am proud and deeply honoured to kick off this landmark new development in KSA. With a commitment to delivering excellence, we aim to establish a world-class facility right here on Saudi soil. I am looking forward to the opportunity to serve some of the most renowned customers, both globally and regionally, with a superior range of French Fries products, proudly made in KSA. This new facility reinforces our dedication to quality, innovation, and the Kingdom’s potential.”

About Americana

Established in 1964, Americana Foods is one of the largest FMCG companies in the MENA region. From our humble beginnings in Kuwait, to our strong presence and extended reach in KSA, UAE, and Egypt, we have over decades grown to become a trusted household brand name in the region and beyond. Americana operates a diverse portfolio of products across several categories including but not limited to frozen processed products (poultry, beef and seafood), frozen fruits and vegetables, canned and packaged food, sweet and savory snacks. With 19 production facilities across the MENA region, direct route-to-market and distribution network in 4 key operating markets, and presence in 50+ countries across the world, Americana continues to be at the forefront of the industry, continually pushing the boundaries of quality and taste, enriching consumers’ lives through the joy of food.

About Farm Frites

Founded in 1971 as an independent family business, Farm Frites was born from a passion for potato cultivation and crafting quality fries. Over the past five decades, this passion has driven our growth into a global enterprise. Today, we process over 1.2 million tons of potato products annually and serve more than eighty types of fries, potato specialties, and appetizers to foodservice providers all over the globe. While our operations have grown, our primary focus remains unchanged: to serve happiness, from field to plate. Our team has expanded to over 1,600 colleagues across 6 manufacturing facilities and 43 global sales offices, serving foodservice entrepreneurs in over 100 countries. 

Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2568359/Americana_Farm_Frites.jpg

 

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SOURCE Americana

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Broadridge Announces Strategic Investment in CENTRL to Enhance Due Diligence and RFP Solutions for Asset Management and Retirement Industry

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NEW YORK and LONDON, April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc. (NYSE: BR), a global Fintech leader, today announced a strategic partnership and minority investment in CENTRL, a leading provider of AI-powered due diligence solutions for financial institutions. The partnership enhances Broadridge’s data and analytics solutions for the asset management and retirement advisory industries with leading due diligence technology and expands its AI-enabled capabilities, helping modernize counterparty due diligence and RFP processes through data-driven, innovative technology.

“This partnership represents an important step in expanding our AI-enabled capabilities and delivering greater value for clients across our platform,” said Dan Cwenar, President, Data-Driven Fund Solutions at Broadridge. “By combining Broadridge’s deep industry relationships and data assets with CENTRL’s purpose-built AI technology, we are helping clients modernize due diligence and RFP response workflows, improve operational efficiency and better manage risk, and accumulate more assets.”

The financial services industry continues to face increasing regulatory scrutiny, fragmented counterparty oversight processes and a growing volume of manual and duplicative due diligence requests. By integrating Broadridge’s trusted data and market infrastructure capabilities with CENTRL’s AI-driven due diligence platform, firms can reduce manual touchpoints, eliminate redundant data gathering, improve accuracy and consistency, and strengthen regulatory audit trails.

“Broadridge is a trusted partner to many of the world’s leading financial institutions,” said Sanjeev Dheer, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CENTRL. “Together, we are bringing AI-driven intelligent automation to some of the industry’s most complex and resource-intensive processes. By embedding AI directly into due diligence, research, and DDQ/RFP response and communication workflows, we can help firms move from manual, fragmented processes to streamlined, data-driven operations.”

Through the partnership, Broadridge will integrate CENTRL’s AI-powered workflow and automation capabilities across solutions serving asset managers, retirement recordkeepers, and retirement advisors. The collaboration includes modernizing Broadridge’s Fi360 RFP Director, embedding Broadridge data into CENTRL’s workflows, and expanding access to AI-driven tools that automate due diligence, RFP responses, and counterparty oversight processes.

Broadridge’s data and analytics business is focused on transforming complex data into actionable insights across the asset management lifecycle—from distribution and investor behavior to operational performance. The integration of CENTRL’s AI-powered due diligence capabilities extends this strategy, connecting data, workflows and automation to help clients streamline counterparty oversight and RFP processes. Together, Broadridge and CENTRL deliver a more unified, data-driven solution that improves efficiency, enhances decision-making and supports asset managers in scaling their businesses.

Additionally, Broadridge clients will now have access to CENTRL’s leading due diligence management and response platforms, including deeper integration with Broadridge’s leading distribution data and analytics, enabling asset managers to improve and scale due diligence, fund and counterparty oversight, and RFP response workflows.

About Broadridge
Broadridge Financial Solutions (NYSE: BR) is a global technology leader with trusted expertise and transformative technology, helping clients and the financial services industry operate, innovate, and grow. We power investing, governance, and communications for our clients – driving operational resiliency, elevating business performance, and transforming investor experiences.

Our technology and operations platforms process and generate over 7 billion communications annually and underpin the daily average trading of over $15 trillion in tokenized and traditional securities globally. A certified Great Place to Work®, Broadridge is part of the S&P 500® Index, employing over 15,000 associates in 21 countries.

For more information, visit www.broadridge.com.

About CENTRL
CENTRL is a Silicon Valley-based technology firm offering an AI-powered Diligence and Response platform for the financial services industry. CENTRL helps Asset Allocators, Asset Managers, Banks, and Service providers automate their diligence, research, and DDQ/RFP response processes with a domain-specific AI platform. CENTRL’s clients include 8 of the top 30 global banks and leading Asset Allocators and Asset Managers across the Americas, Europe, the UK, and Australia.

Media contacts:

Linda Namias
Linda.namias@broadridge.com
631-254-7711

Alice Stephens
Astephens@centrl.ai
414-403-1172

 

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SOURCE Broadridge Financial Solutions, Inc.

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HONEYWELL TO SELL PRODUCTIVITY SOLUTIONS AND SERVICES BUSINESS TO BRADY CORPORATION

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Accelerates portfolio simplification as Honeywell prepares for the planned spin-off of its Aerospace business, on track for Q3 2026

CHARLOTTE, N.C., April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Honeywell (Nasdaq: HON) today announced that it has agreed to sell its Productivity Solutions and Services (“PSS”) business to Brady Corporation, an international manufacturer of identification and protection solutions, for $1.4 billion in an all-cash transaction. The transaction is expected to be completed in the second half of 2026 and is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

The transaction follows the review of strategic alternatives Honeywell commenced in July 2025 for PSS and its Warehouse and Workflow Solutions (“WWS”) business to further simplify the company’s portfolio alongside the planned spin-off of its Aerospace business, which is expected to be complete in the third quarter of 2026. Honeywell remains actively engaged in its assessment of strategic alternatives for WWS, which operates commercially under the brand names Intelligrated and Transnorm.

“With the PSS divestiture, we are nearing completion of our multi-year portfolio transformation, further accelerating value creation as we prepare to separate our Aerospace and Automation businesses into two independent industry leading public companies. The sale also enables us to continue strengthening our financial and operational focus on the company’s core businesses,” said Vimal Kapur, Chairman and CEO of Honeywell.

“Going forward, PSS will benefit from Brady’s highly complementary and specialized leadership in industrial identification and safety, creating a broader, more integrated offering for warehouse, logistics and manufacturing customers,” Kapur added.

With 2025 revenue of approximately $1.1 billion, PSS is a leading provider of mobile computers, barcode scanners and printing solutions serving the warehouse and logistics market. PSS is currently part of Honeywell’s Industrial Automation (IA) business portfolio.

Brady Corporation (NYSE: BRC) is an international manufacturer and marketer of high-performance labels, signs, safety devices and printing systems for industries that include electronics, manufacturing and aerospace. Brady provides products that enhance safety, security and productivity. The acquisition of PSS will help build Brady’s capabilities in data capture, mobile computing and workflow automation, increasing its portfolio serving industrial and logistics customers, while creating a more integrated, end‑to‑end productivity and safety platform.

This announcement follows the divestiture of Honeywell’s Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) business in 2024 and the spin-off of its Advanced Materials business as Solstice Advanced Materials (Nasdaq: SOLS) in October 2025. It also builds on the prior strategic actions Honeywell has taken to drive organic growth and optimize its portfolio, including announcing approximately $14 billion of accretive and synergistic acquisitions since 2023: Compressor Controls Corporation, SCADAfence, the Access Solutions business from Carrier Global, Civitanavi Systems, CAES Systems, the LNG business from Air Products, Sundyne, Li-ion Tamer and Johnson Matthey’s Catalyst Technologies Business.

Centerview Partners is serving as financial advisor to Honeywell. Kirkland & Ellis LLP,  Baker McKenzie and Womble Bond Dickinson are providing external legal counsel.

About Honeywell 
Honeywell is an integrated operating company serving a broad range of industries and geographies around the world, with a portfolio that is underpinned by our Honeywell Accelerator operating system and Honeywell Forge platform. As a trusted partner, we help organizations solve the world’s toughest, most complex challenges, providing actionable solutions and innovations for aerospace, building automation, industrial automation, process automation, and process technology that help make the world smarter and safer as well as more secure and sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.

Forward Looking Statement
We describe many of the trends and other factors that drive our business and future results in this release. Such discussions contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the Exchange Act), including statements related to the proposed separation of Honeywell from Honeywell Aerospace and the planned sale of the Productivity Solutions and Services and Warehouse and Workflow Solutions businesses. Forward-looking statements are those that address activities, events, or developments that we or our management intend, expect, project, believe, or anticipate will or may occur in the future. They are based on management’s assumptions and assessments in light of past experience and trends, current economic and industry conditions, expected future developments, and other relevant factors, many of which are difficult to predict and outside of our control, including Honeywell’s current expectations, estimates, and projections regarding the proposed separation of Honeywell from Honeywell Aerospace and the planned sale of the Productivity Solutions and Services and Warehouse and Workflow Solutions businesses. They are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results, developments, and business decisions may differ significantly from those envisaged by our forward-looking statements, including the proposed separation of Honeywell from Honeywell Aerospace and the planned sale of the Productivity Solutions and Services and Warehouse and Workflow Solutions businesses, and the anticipated benefits of each. We do not undertake to update or revise any of our forward-looking statements, except as required by applicable securities law. Our forward-looking statements are also subject to material risks and uncertainties, including ongoing macroeconomic and geopolitical risks, such as changes in or application of trade and tax laws and policies, including the impacts of tariffs and other trade barriers and restrictions, lower GDP growth or recession in the U.S. or globally, supply chain disruptions, capital markets volatility, inflation, and certain regional conflicts, including ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, that can affect our performance in both the near- and long-term. In addition, no assurance can be given that any plan, initiative, projection, goal, commitment, expectation, or prospect set forth in this release can or will be achieved. These forward-looking statements should be considered in light of the information included in this release, our Form 10-K, and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking plans described herein are not final and may be modified or abandoned at any time.

Contacts:

Media         

Investor Relations

Stacey Jones           

Mark Macaluso

(980) 378-6258         

(704) 627-6118

Stacey.Jones@honeywell.com          

mark.macaluso@honeywell.com

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SOURCE Honeywell

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Identiv Expands ID-Safe NFC Tag Portfolio to Enable Secure Product Authentication, Tamper Detection, and Traceability

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Expanded portfolio of tamper-evident and tamper-proof NFC tags enables companies to verify authenticity, detect interference, and maintain product integrity across the lifecycle.

SANTA ANA, Calif., April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Identiv, Inc. (NASDAQ: INVE), a global leader in RFID- and BLE-enabled Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, today announced the expansion of its ID-Safe product family, a portfolio of advanced HF and NFC tags designed to support product authentication, tamper detection, and secure traceability across pharmaceutical, healthcare, retail, food and beverage, electronics, and smart packaging applications.

As companies work to address rising counterfeiting, diversion, and product fraud, there is growing demand for solutions that can verify product authenticity, confirm package integrity, and provide visibility across the product lifecycle.

Identiv’s ID-Safe portfolio addresses these challenges by combining NFC-based product identity with advanced tamper detection and secure authentication. By embedding secure NFC technology directly into tags, ID-Safe transforms product labeling into a digital trust layer – enabling companies to confirm that a product is genuine, verify that it has not been opened or altered, and enable secure digital interaction using standard NFC-enabled smartphones or readers.

“Trust in physical products can’t be assumed anymore – it has to be verified. ID-Safe brings together secure NFC-based identity, tamper detection, and tamper-proof design to enable companies to confirm authenticity and product integrity at any point in the lifecycle, anywhere those interactions occur,” said Andreas Walsner, Global Vice President Sales, Identiv. “It allows organizations to detect interference, prevent fraud, and establish trusted product identity anywhere it matters – from manufacturing through distribution to the point of use – while supporting secure, scalable deployment across real-world operations.”

A trusted, tamper-proof tag portfolio

The ID-Safe portfolio includes a range of NFC tag configurations designed to support diverse applications across pharmaceutical, healthcare, retail, food and beverage, electronics, and smart packaging environments. These include tamper-evident NFC labels that detect and record package opening events, as well as tamper-proof tags with destructible antennas that prevent removal, reuse or product refilling. Select configurations support encrypted authentication using high-security NFC chips, enabling protection against cloning and advanced counterfeiting.

Each ID-Safe tag is encoded with a unique identity and can be linked to cloud-based systems, creating a digital twin of the product. Throughout manufacturing, logistics, and distribution, stakeholders can scan the tag to confirm authenticity and verify that the product remains unopened. Once a package is opened or tampered with, the tag registers an irreversible state change – such as a broken antenna or altered electrical signal – clearly indicating that the product has been compromised.

The ID-Safe product family is designed to help organizations address critical product security challenges, including counterfeiting, gray market diversion, warranty and returns abuse, and product refilling and resale fraud. By making product authenticity and integrity verifiable in real time, ID-Safe helps protect brand value, improve recall and compliance processes, and strengthen trust across the supply chain and with end users.

The products are already deployed in an award-winning NFC-based anti-counterfeiting smart packaging solution for luxury wine producers and collectors, developed in collaboration with ZATAP and Genuine-Analytics.

The ID-Safe portfolio includes multiple configurations with options for different chip types, memory capacities, and form factors.

“Companies can’t afford uncertainty when it comes to product authenticity and integrity. ID-Safe provides a practical way to verify products, detect tampering, and prevent fraud – including refilling, diversion, and unauthorized resale – while enabling secure interaction throughout the product lifecycle. It’s a critical step toward making physical products more secure, traceable, and trusted,” concluded Walsner.

For more information about Identiv’s ID-Safe product family or other IoT solutions, please visit our Product Finder or contact sales@identiv.com

About Identiv
Identiv’s RFID- and BLE-enabled IoT solutions create digital identities for physical objects, enhancing global connectivity for businesses, people, and the planet. Its solutions, integrated into over 2.0 billion applications worldwide, drive innovation across healthcare, logistics, consumer electronics, luxury goods, smart packaging, and more. For additional information, visit identiv.com | Follow us on LinkedIn @Identiv

Media Contact:
Samantha Bryton
samantha@griffin360.com

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SOURCE Identiv

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