Ingredion acquires potato starch producer Western Polymer

Global ingredient solutions provider Ingredion has acquired Western Polymer, a US-based supplier of native and modified potato starches for food and industrial applications.

Financial details of the acquisition have not been disclosed by both companies.

Ingredion president and CEO Jim Zallie said: “This next phase of growth is consistent with other actions we’ve taken to strengthen our specialities business and deliver long-term value for our shareholders.

“This acquisition expands our higher-value speciality ingredients business, which is central to Ingredion’s growth strategy. We have tremendous respect for the culture and business that Western Polymer has built and we look forward to the future opportunities that we will create together.”

With the acquisition, Ingredion intends to expand its potato starch manufacturing capacity, improve processing capabilities and strengthen its speciality ingredients business.

Headquartered in Moses Lake, Washington, Western Polymer also sells modified tapioca starch for industrial applications.

Western Polymer primarily supplies cationic starch to the paper industry and manufactures native and modified potato starch for food applications.

The company has three manufacturing facilities located in Moses Lake, Fort Fairfield in Maine and Grand Forks in North Dakota.

Western Polymer president and CEO Lynn Townsend-White said: “We’re excited to leverage the strengths of Western Polymer and Ingredion to continue developing high-quality ingredients that align with consumer trends and customers’ needs.

“By coming together now, this enables even greater reach for our ingredients and positions the business for continued growth.”

Last December, Ingredion unveiled its plans to accelerate the production of plant-based proteins with an investment of $140m.

The investment is expected to broaden the company’s plant-based protein solutions in order to meet the increasing global demand.

Under this initiative, Ingredion’s two North American manufacturing facilities will produce pea-protein isolates, as well as a  range of pulse-based flours and concentrates from next year.