Cooper buying egg facility

Cooper Farms is in the process of purchasing Hemmelgarn and Sons, an egg producer in Philothea, Ohio.

The deal includes Hemmelgarn’s egg grading and packaging plant in Philothea and a feed mill in Union City, The Daily Standard reported.

The acquisition involves 1.6 million hens, 12 contract farmers, nearly 300 acres of land and a fleet of trucks.

Founded in 1938, Cooper Farms is a family-owned supplier of turkey, ham, chicken and egg products.

New leader

Dr. Edmond Bendaly has been named Family LifeCare’s new chief medical officer. 

Bendaly previously worked as the Berne organization’s associate medical director. He will replace Dr. Bernie Wiebe, who recently retired. 

Bendaly received his medical degree from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. He completed fellowships in palliative medicine at Indiana University in Indianapolis and hematology-oncology at New York University. He also practices at Marion General Hospital Cancer Center. 

Recalling

Tyson Foods announced Thursday that it is recalling almost 70,000 pounds of frozen chicken after two customers reported finding metal fragments in bags of frozen chicken strips. It is recalling the chicken out of “an abundance of caution,” according to a press release. No injuries or illnesses have been reported. 

The potentially affected products are Buffalo Style Chicken Strips and Crispy Chicken Strips – Chicken Breast Strip Fritters with Rib Meat, which both come in 25-ounce bags, have a use-by date of Nov. 30, 2019, and the establishment code P7221. Tyson is also recalling Spare Time Buffalo Style Chicken Strips sold to retailers and correctional institutions in 20-pound boxes.  

New members

State of the Heart Care has added three new members to its board.

Lauren Henry, executive director of Wayne Healthcare Foundation in Greenville, Ohio,  Twyla Hayes, co-owner of Brand It Marketing Communications in Rockford, Ohio, and Jordan Francis, director of wellness services for Wayne HealthCare, have been named to the board. 

State of the Heart provides hospice and other services in east-central Indiana and west-central Ohio. 

CBD at CVS

CVS Pharmacies announced this week it would begin selling products infused with CBD at more than 800 stores, including in Indiana. 

CBD is a nonintoxicating hemp component. CVS will distribute the products as part of a deal with Curaleaf Holdings, a marijuana company, Bloomberg reported Wednesday. The product line will include creams, sprays and lotions and will be sold in stores in Indiana, Colorado, Alabama, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland and Tennessee.

Hemp-derived CBD, or cannabidiol, is legal in the U.S. and has been touted as an alternative pain reliever. 

Promoted 

First Merchants Bank has a new director of consumer banking. 

The Muncie-based bank recently promoted Carrie Valek to senior vice president and director of consumer banking. According to Inside Indiana Business, Valek will oversee the leadership, performance and strategic direction of the consumer bank. She was most recently director of retail sales. 

First Merchants Bank has a location in Portland.