WESTCHESTER, ILLINOIS, U.S. — Jungbunzlauer, a leading producer of biodegradable ingredients of natural origin based in Basel, Switzerland, on July 7 agreed to purchase a manufacturing facility in Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada from a subsidiary of Ingredion Inc.

The transaction is expected to close on Dec.15.

“We have operated our facility in Port Colborne since 2002 and Ingredion has been one of our main suppliers. Our supply chain will become fully integrated with the acquisition of the Ingredion plant, which will be dedicated to glucose production for fermentation purposes. This will further strengthen our efficiency and enhance our competitive position,” said Tom Knutzen, Jungbunzlauer, chief executive officer.

“We achieve sustainability by combining state-of-the-art processes and manufacturing technology while locating close to the main inputs, such as corn, energy and water. The acquisition of the Ingredion facility documents our commitment to both the region and our strategy to build competitiveness through a leading sustainability position.”

“Ingredion is committed to an on-going continuous improvement effort to optimize our network to control our fixed costs and ensure the most efficient use of our resources.  This is one step to balance supply based on our customers’ needs as we focus on the growth of our higher-value specialty ingredient portfolio,” said Jim Zallie, Ingredion executive vice-president and president, Ingredion North America.

Jungbunzlauer is one of the world’s leading producers of biodegradable ingredients of natural origin. The Swiss-based, international company’s roots date back to 1867. Today, Jungbunzlauer specializes in citric acid, xanthan gum, gluconates, lactics, specialties, special salts and sweeteners for the food, beverage, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry as well as for various other industrial applications.