Netball Singapore today announced Mission Foods as the title sponsor of the Mission World Netball Championships (WNC) 2011. The Championships featuring Netball’s top nations will take place from 3 to 10 July 2011 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

In a cash sponsorship worth S$450,000, the Mission Foods deal was concluded in recognition of the growing strength of netball in the Asia Pacific region and the global reach of the WNC. The deal also builds on Mission Foods support for netball following its three year deal as naming sponsor for the ANZ Queensland Firebirds earlier this year.

With over 60 years’ successful experience, and operations spanning Mexico, the US, Central and South America, UK, Asia and most recently Australia, Mission Foods manufacture over 25% of the world’s flatbreads and wraps demonstrating clear global leadership. The company is also dedicated to participate in community based projects in each country it operates in.

Mr Matt Forster, Vice President Retail Sales – Asia/Oceania, Mission Foods, said: “We believe that the sponsorship will help raise our brand awareness in Asia Pacific while helping drive awareness of the importance of healthy eating and living through sport. As an elite sporting event, the World Netball Championships also brings together 16 countries from all over the world, so as well as providing an excellent platform in Asia Pacific, it will help maximize Mission’s brand growth worldwide.”

Ms. Jessica Tan, Chairman of the Organising Committee of the World Netball Championships, and Member of Parliament of East Coast GRC, expressed her delight at the deal, saying: “The organising committee has been working hard to attract top calibre sponsors to support the event and I am delighted that Mission Foods has come on board as title sponsor for the Mission World Netball Championships 2011. As well as providing an excellent cash boost as we enter the final stages of preparation, Mission Foods’ strategic outlook is closely aligned to the Championships whereby we firmly believe in promoting healthy eating and living through sport.”

Come July, the International Federation of Netball Associations (IFNA) and hosts Singapore will welcome teams from Australia, New Zealand, England, Jamaica, Malawi and the top two qualifiers from Africa, Americas & Caribbean, Asia, Europe and Oceania for the 13th edition of the quadrennial championship.

IFNA President Molly Rhone commended Singapore on the preparations to date, she said: “Since my visit back in March it is great to see that Singapore has forged ahead with preparations for the Championships and have secured an excellent title sponsor in Mission Foods. Netball is truly growing in stature throughout the world – currently spanning 70 countries - and it is thanks to the efforts of local committees and supporting companies who continue to fuel this growth.

With just over six months to go, over 2500 Gold and Platinum packages for the tournament have already been snapped up by a majority of overseas visitors. At S$550, the Platinum package is a season pass to the entire eight day tournament, with spectators enjoying privileges to pick prime seats, access to the Express queue and enjoy discounts to World Netball Championships 2011 merchandise. The Gold packages cover the three final day series and have also sold out.

Netball Singapore will launch the sale of Silver and Bronze packages on 1 January 2011, targeted towards the home crowd and Asian neighbours such as Sri Lanka in the coming weeks, but are encouraging locals to buy early to avoid disappointment. The 2nd tier season Silver package is priced at S$300 and the 3-day bronze package at S$200. The daily tickets will also go on sale in the 2nd quarter of next year.

Mission Foods, worldwide manufacturer of flatbreads, Mexican and corn based products proudly announced today the continuation of the major partnership with the Western Bulldogs AFL team for another 3 years with an option of an additional 2 years.

The deal was scheduled to conclude at the end of 2011 with the option to renew.

“As a world leader, we are delighted to continue with our partnership of the Western Bulldogs who are clearly an innovative and leading football club in the national AFL competition,” said Mr Gonzalez, President - CEO Mission Foods International.

This partnership will be the biggest ever for the Western Bulldogs and will further build on the solid foundations that both parties have worked hard on over the last three years.

“This partnership will help the Western Bulldogs continue to cement their place as one of Australias’ top AFL teams in the country’s most beloved sports. We’re absolutely thrilled and look forward to working with Mission Foods to further expand both brands nationally over the next three years,” said Western Bulldogs President David Smorgon OAM.

The continued growth of the AFL as a sport and the Western Bulldogs strong community positioning in the west were core components that were critical factors in the decision to stay in the Bulldogs Family.

“This, in addition with their solid on field performance over the last three years, gives Mission Foods an outstanding platform to continue to reach and talk to consumers on a national level and to drive awareness of the importance of healthy eating and living. Let the exciting journey continue,” said Mr Gonzalez.

The National Breast Cancer Foundation is the leading community-funded organisation in Australia, raising money for research into the prevention and cure of breast cancer.

The NBCF recently achieved a new milestone having now funded $67 million across 256 research programs since 1994.

October is Breast Cancer Month, a number of organisations support NBFC by developing pink products for the month with a percentage of sales going to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

Mission Foods is proud to support the National Breast Cancer Foundation as a Gold Partner by donating $60,000 for research. Look out for Mission’s Pink range of products in Supermarkets during October.

“We are absolutely thrilled to be partnering the Queensland Firebirds over the next 3 years”, says Matt Forster VP Retail Sales. “This partnership will help us continue to cement our brand nationally and to drive awareness of the importance of healthy eating and living.”

Established in 1949, Mission Foods, is one of the world’s largest tortilla, flatbread and corn flour producers in the world and is engaged primarily in the production, marketing, distribution and sale of tortillas, chips, wraps, flat breads corn and wheat flour.

With operations spanning in Mexico, the USA, Central America, Europe and Asia Pacific, and employing over 20,000 people globally - the facility recently completed in Epping Victoria has become a major employer in the State employing Victorians from a diverse mix of cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

Mission Foods say a netball partnership was chosen in recognition of the growing strength of the sport in the trans Tasman community.

It also solidifies a strategic pillar for the brand, which is to continue driving awareness of the importance of healthy eating and living in the community by partnering with elite sporting teams.

The decision to partner the Queensland Firebirds was based on their outstanding community profile and in particular the Firebirds’ strong involvement and endorsement of QLD Health’s “Feeling Good” initiative.

“The level of involvement the Firebirds’ players have in delivering this message to students across the state was a major drawcard”, says Matt Forster.

There is also an opportunity to further maximise Mission’s brand growth given the exciting new training and leadership program the Firebirds have put in place to ensure they have the best chance to win the ANZ Championship over the next 3 years.

We are excited to be partnering the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge over the next 3 years”, says Juan Gonzalez President & CEO Mission Foods, “this partnership will help us continue to create awareness for our brand nationally and further establish our commitment to the community.

Established in 1949, Mission Foods, is one of the world’s largest tortilla, flatbread and corn flour producers in the world and is engaged primarily in the production, marketing, distribution and sale of tortillas, chips, wraps, flat breads corn and wheat flour.

With operations spanning in Mexico, the USA, Central America, Europe and Asia Pacific, and employing over 20,000 people globally - the facility recently completed in Epping Victoria has become a major employer in the State employing Victorians from a diverse mix of cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

On Monday 14th of September, Hon John Brumby MP opened our manufacturing facility in Epping Victoria with an official ceremony and tour of the facility.

Thanks to the support of all Australians we have a strong foundation to continue building the Mission Brand in Australia, and to continue providing new opportunties for Australians nationally.

On behalf of Mission Foods, I would like to personally thank all Australians for embracing Mission into their homes with open arms, and look forward to continuing to delight our thousands of loyal customers who have shown us great support and loyalty.

Yours Sincerely, Juan Gonzalez - President and CEO Gruma Asia & Oceania

Visit Mission Foods new youtube channel for the latest How To videos and Ads.

Phil Vickery shows you how to Wrap a Wrap using Mission Wraps available at your local supermarket.

Mission Foods has operations spanning in Mexico, the United States, Central and South America, UK, Asia and now Australia and exports to 90 countries worldwide.

With over 60 years of successful experience, Mission Foods manufactures over 25% of the world’s flatbreads and wraps demonstrating clear global leadership, making the company the world’s largest manufacturer in this category.

"As a world leader, we are pleased to have partnered with the Western Bulldogs who are clearly an innovative and leading football club in the national AFL competition," said Mr. Gonzalez, President - CEO Gruma Oceania.

Corporate Offices are in Mexico, US, UK, Central and South America, China, Malaysia and Australia and there are approximately 20,000 employees and 97 plants globally.

Mission Foods is privately owned by the Gonzalez family with 19% listed on the NY Stock Exchange and a 20% partnership with Archer Daniels Mills (ADM).

Mission Foods have recently completed the development of their state of the art Australian head office and manufacturing facility in Epping, Victoria, and as a result, the company is creating over 300 new jobs for the State of Victoria.

Mission is the retail brand launching into Australia in 2009.

Globally, Mission Foods is committed in each country it operates in to participate in community based projects.

An AFL partnership was chosen in recognition of the national strength of the AFL in the Australian community and the fact it forms a critical part of the Australian fabric and psyche. The Bulldogs are a part of this strength and for this reason we have chosen them to assist Mission Foods in launching our brand in this market place.

"The decision to partner with the Western Bulldogs was based on their 128 year history and strong community positioning. This, in addition to their solid on field performance, gives Mission Foods an outstanding platform to position our brand and to share in an exciting journey with this Club," said Mr Gonzalez.

Mission Foods is thrilled to partner with the Western Bulldogs and share in the journey to future success.

For further media enquiries please contact, Matt Forster on 03 8401 1400.

Five years ago, the wrap became the sandwich sensation and restaurants expanded their menus by adding recipes that include tortilla wraps. Now, nearly all U-S fast food chains serve tortillas on their menus and sales of tortillas are booming, doubling in the last decade to over $6 billion^[1].

Wraps became a dieters’ dream as health-conscious consumers filled them with all sorts of lean meats and vegetables for a healthy meal option. And the low-carb/Atkins craze in 2004 helped redefine the importance of eating whole grain foods. The tortilla category is one of the only carb categories that continue to show growth, while most high-carb categories are declining in sales, according to AC Nielsen. Even Mission Foods® sales for their top selling low-carb tortilla product are higher this year than the same time last year.

 Mission Foods, one of the largest tortilla manufacturers in the United States, produces tortillas around the world. Its wide variety of tortillas include multi-grain, low-carb and 96% fat-free, and flavored wraps such as sun dried tomato basil, spinach and garlic herb.

Consumers are demanding more portable, versatile meal solutions and are experimenting with the versatility of the tortilla, creating delicious inventive recipes such as tortilla manicotti and quesadilla pizzas or creating quick, easy healthy snacks like tuna wraps or breakfast burritos.

So whether you’re on-the-go, in search of portable, quick, healthy tortilla ideas, or a mom who wants to expand her children’s back to school lunch and snack ideas, just log onto www.missionmenus.com for some wholesome, simple solutions.

Tortilla Facts:

• The Tortilla Industry Association (TIA) estimates the retail tortilla category is a $2.12 billion market in the U-S.

• 62 percent of food industry suppliers —both commercial and non-commercial—reported using tortillas in their operations.^[2]

• The Tortilla Category is projected to grow 5-10% over the next few years, according to the TIA.

• Gruma, the parent company of Mission Foods, revolutionized the tortilla-making process by creating Maseca corn flour that allowed for convenient mass production of corn tortillas while preserving their authentic taste. And this process is still being used today.

• All of Mission Foods’ 19 U-S plants are certified as kosher.

• The word “tortilla” comes from the Spanish word “torta” which means round cake.

• According to Mayan legend, tortillas were invented by a peasant for his hungry king in ancient times. The first tortillas, which date approximately 10,000 years before Christ, were made of native corn with dried kernel.

• NASA has used flour tortillas on Space shuttle missions since the 1980s. They use tortillas in the place of bread because of the easy clean-up and because the bread crumbs can cause a lot of trouble in space.

Nutritional Information:

• Flour tortillas are a low-fat food and contain iron along with other B vitamins. They have about 115 calories with 2 to 3 grams of fat per serving.

• Corn tortillas are a naturally low-fat, low sodium food and contain calcium, potassium and fiber. An average serving contains about 60 calories and only 1 gram of fat.

About Mission Foods

Mission Foods, headquartered in Irving (Dallas area), Texas, and Gruma S.A.B. de C.V., a Mexican corporation, was founded in 1949, and is one of the largest tortilla manufacturers in the United States. Gruma S.A.B. de C.V. is the parent company of Mission Foods (Gruma Corporation) and a leading Mexican producer of corn masa flour and tortilla products. Mission has operations in Mexico, the United States, Central and South America, Europe and Asia. For more information please visit www.missionmenus.com.

^[2] According to the Tortilla Foodservice Usage Study commissioned by the Tortilla Industry Association in 2004

Food IQ brings a passion for understanding which inventive culinary creations will resonate with our customers,” explains David Garrett, Vice President of Marketing for Mission Foods. “We’ve already seen a tremendous response from their creative recipe ideas now featured on missionmenus.com.”

Food IQ helps Mission Foods evaluate food and social trends to better understand consumers’ demands for versatile and inspired meal solution ideas. They provide insightful, fresh and innovative promotional ideas to help Mission become a trusted partner for busy moms.

“Utilizing consumer needs and drivers as the foundation, Food IQ provides product, recipe and usage ideas to help Mission become a trusted partner for mom,” says Chef Corliss. “Having a firm understanding of the consumer and what motivates them is the basis for all we do.”

“Food IQ believes that our best work is always ahead of us; we are in perpetual motion and always thinking young,” says Chef Corliss. “We’re excited to work side by side with Mission and provide strategic planning to help them meet their growing consumer demands for easy yet customized, high-flavored and globally inspired foods.”

To better maximize Mission’s recent makeover of its web site, Food IQ developed, tested and added to the site’s existing catalog of hundreds of simple, creative and delicious recipe ideas. The online recipes show time-starved moms and weekend chefs the versatility and health benefits of utilizing tortillas in their culinary creations. In addition to traditional Hispanic fare, Food IQ also presents ethnically diverse menu options and emphasizes how Mission products can be used in breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacking. The recipes are featured on www.missionmenus.com alongside grocery lists and tools that help visitors choose the perfect recipe for their specific needs.

Mission has already experienced a boost in visitation to its newly expanded site, driven in large part by its recipe-sharing component as time-starved consumers seek out new, creative and easy-to-prepare menu options for their families. More than 50,000 users visit the web site monthly. The company’s new partnership with Food IQ promises further offerings to address online trends in the food industry as savvy consumers look to food websites for recipes and social interaction.

About Mission Foods

Mission Foods, headquartered in Irving (Dallas area), Texas and Gruma SAB, a Mexican corporation, was founded in 1949, and is one of the largest tortilla manufacturers in the United States. Gruma S.A. de C.V. is the parent company of Mission Foods (Gruma Corporation) and is a leading Mexican producer of corn masa flour and tortilla products. It has operations in Mexico, the United States, Central and South America, Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit www.missionmenus.com.

Mission officially opened the newest plant September 21 with a celebration that included costumed dancers dressed like a dragon, part of a Chinese ritual. The dancers moved throughout the plant, in a ceremony meant to remove any bad spirits or bad influences. For additional good luck, the Chinese employees have already nicknamed the plant the “Mission Dragon.”

The new plant is nearly 96,000 square feet, and includes a research kitchen that Juan Gonzalez, President and CEO of the Gruma Asia & Oceania division, says is more extensive than any other throughout the entire company.

“A group of chefs worked with us to design this kitchen and select the equipment we needed to develop new recipes and new products,” said Mr. Gonzalez. “New product development is a number one priority for us, to drive sales in new markets, and we needed the most modern kitchen possible to do that.”

In addition, Mr. Gonzalez said, Mission Shanghai hired a chef from China’s capital, Beijing. The chef has extensive experience working in global cuisines, including seven years at the Mexican Embassy in Beijing. Part of the chef’s role in the research kitchen will be to create recipes and research new products that appeal to the Asian culture and tastes.

Mr. Gonzalez said that Mission Foods selected Shanghai for the new plant because of the city’s seaport and because it is China’s most modern city. From Shanghai, Mission will be able to ship products to other Asian countries, such as Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Thailand.

The plant, which produces wheat flour and corn flour tortillas and tortilla chips, is adding personnel with a goal of reaching 148 employees by the end of this year. Its initial focus has been on meeting the needs of restaurant customers, with retail to follow, but the growth of Mission’s restaurant customers in China should help keep the plant busy.

Thanks to the growing Chinese economy, Mission restaurant customers such as Taco Bell, KFC, TGI Friday’s, and Chili’s have been rapidly opening outlets in major cities. Mr. Gonzalez noted that there are already 1,500 KFC restaurants in China, and that number is expected to double by 2008, the year that China hosts the Olympics.

Construction began in May on the Mission Shanghai facility, and thanks to two construction work shifts, it was completed in just four and a half months. It is located in an industrial park in Pudong, just south of the city of Shanghai, in Fengxian Province. As it services our Asian customers, it has eased some of the pressure on the Rancho plant in California, which has been the source of products for that market.

The plant is the first new plant in the new Asia & Oceania division. Mission Foods also has operations in Australia, but took over existing facilities there until a new plant can be built. Leading the plant is Vice President of Operations Armando Strozzi, who relocated to China from the Rancho plant. Heading research and development is Javier Rangel, and leading customer service and sales is Jonathan Ley. The Chief Financial Officer is Sam Masri, Controller is Carol Fang, and the Senior Vice President of Food Service Sales is Lucio Kreimer.

Mr. Gonzalez thanked a number of individuals whose efforts helped complete the Mission Shanghai plant on time. He mentioned the hard work of Noori Jawad, Director of Project Engineering; Fernando Mena, Project Engineer; and Carmen Olson, Corporate QA. Others mentioned were Jose Giraldo, Dallas; Cesar Estrada, Tempe; Daniel Padilla, Rancho; Domingo Torrres, Rancho; Samuel Lemus, Rancho; and Rosalia Alfaro, Fort Worth. In addition, assistance was provided by these four men from Tecnomaiz in Monterrey, Mexico: Gumaro Lozano Tamez, Jose Radamez Ortiz, Jorge Hernandez Luna, and Martin Briones Carrera.

Mr. Gonzalez also thanked these individuals from Monterrey who implemented the SAP system at Shanghai: Juan Carlos Vela Benavides, Reynaldo Camacho Mora, Juan Pedro Borbón, César Villarreal López, Rubén Aguilar, Julio Rosa Manzano, Primitivo Martínez Silos, Sergio Ibarra, Fernando Gamboa, Otoniel Treviño, Edgar Sosa Rojas, Humberto Reyes Luján, and Santiago Alvarado.

As part of this venture, earlier this year, Gruma successfully acquired Rosita’s in Bendigo, Victoria (Australia), a 12-year-old, $22 million company that was the leading tortilla producer in Australia. In April, Gruma acquired a second company in Australia, Oz Mex Foods of Seaford, Victoria. Oz Mex Foods, a $7 million company, specialized in private label products as taco shells, flour tortillas, salsas, and seasonings.

Gruma is currently acquiring property in an industrial park in Melbourne, Australia for a new facility, and will move production from Rosita’s and Oz Mex Foods to the newer, more central location. Construction begins this fall, with opening planned for July 2007, with 150 employees.

Gruma’s goal is to expand in the next three years to a second location in Sydney, Australia.

McDonald’s looked at eight tortilla companies throughout the country before choosing Mission Foods to provide 42 percent of the business. That makes us their primary tortilla supplier with four other suppliers sharing the remaining portion of the business.

McDonald’s will launch a snack wrap sandwich nationally on August 1. It will be heavily marketed on both television and radio. The wrap will include an eight-inch tortilla with chicken, lettuce, shredded cheese, and ranch dressing. After six months of continuous effort, the snack wrap project has been one of the fastest product launches in McDonald’s history.

As we produce these no-preservative wraps, we will freeze them and ship them throughout the country. We expect to produce some 190 million tortillas for McDonald’s, the nation’s largest restaurant chain.

“This was the single largest account acquisition in the history of the Foodservice Division of Mission Foods,” said John La Chance, VP of National Accounts. “Fernando Morales, National Accounts Manager, did an outstanding job in coordinating the various departments to secure the business.”

The departments of Research and Development, Total Quality, Supply Chain, and Sales and Manufacturing displayed a tremendous amount of team effort to help us win the McDonald’s account.

Five Mission Foods plants will be involved in the national rollout: Tempe, Rancho Cucamonga, Fife, Mountaintop, and Jefferson. Our first production took place the week of June 19. Outside warehouses have been selected at all plants. With the new products anticipated by McDonald’s, we expect to grow and broaden other opportunities with the world-renowned fast food restaurant.

In a feature on the company that accompanied the award, the magazine’s article discusses Gruma’s record growth worldwide and notes that Mission Foods has opened several new plants over the past two years in the U.S., aided by sizable growth in the Hispanic population.

The article also notes how our emphasis on product categories has also spurred growth. When we declared 2003 “the year of the corn tortilla” and introduced an innovative process to improve taste and texture, sales of corn tortillas climbed 26 percent. In 2004, “the year of the wheat tortilla,” we achieved 14 percent growth in wheat tortilla sales. In 2005, with a focus on chips and other fried products, we targeted 11 percent growth.

For 2006, it is “the year of healthy products.” A multi-grain tortilla and a “heart healthy” tortilla with omega-3 fatty acids have been introduced. “If this is what consumers are interested in purchasing, and it is part of the health and wellness trend, then we will be there with our products,” President and CEO of Gruma Jairo Senise told the magazine.

The Baking and Snack article credits some of Mission Foods’ success to analyzing demographic data about regional consumers in Mexico and then applying that data to consumers elsewhere. Products can then be customized to accommodate cultural preferences.

Our research into what consumers want and how to provide them the best value was also cited. “Our target is to be as pure and fresh as possible,” said Mr. Senise, and that includes locating plants closer to markets, improving productivity, and exploring new packaging technologies.

The magazine article credits all Mission Foods employees as contributors to our company’s success. As a Mexican company operating in the U.S., the article points out, Gruma works hard to blend cultures effectively. Our training efforts and Internet-based performance management program are also mentioned positively. Everyone in the company can be proud of the Baker of the Year award and their part in helping us win it.

"Thus far, Mission Foods, Snack Food Wholesale Bakery's 2004 Wholesale Baker of the Year, has followed the recipe book to a "T" and produced some sweet results. The company, which was bought in 1977 in Canoga Park, Calif., and then in the late eighties moved to Commerce, Calif., before landing in Irving in 1998, is one of the biggest producers of tortillas in the United States. And now, it believes that if it can incorporate "perfect execution" into all elements-production, marketing, sales, etc.-more growth is imminent."

"Mission Accomplished" Courtesy of Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery, September 2004, Andy Hanacek