Content about Michigan

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Spartan Stores, a regional grocery distributor and retailer, has entered into a distribution agreement with Chief Super Market under which Spartan Stores will be its primary wholesale grocery supplier.

Chief operates 12 stores in Northwest and West Central Ohio under the Chief and Rays banners. Spartan Stores stated that it will assume distribution to all of Chief’s banners for grocery, dairy, frozen, bakery and other products in March.

GEORGIA, Vt. — Perrigo Nutritionals is introducing new packaging that the company said would make providing nutrition to infants more convenient.

ALLEGAN, Mich. — Perrigo on Tuesday announced that it has begun shipments of over-the-counter nicotine polacrilex mini lozenge USP, 2 mg (mint flavor) and 4 mg (mint flavor), comparable to GlaxoSmithKline's Nicorette mini lozenge. 

"This launch strengthens Perrigo's leading store brand position in smoking cessation products, which also includes coated and uncoated flavored gums and regular size lozenges," stated Joseph Papa, Perrigo's chairman, president and CEO. 

ALLEGAN, Mich. — Solidifying Perrigo’s leadership position in topical foam-based generic prescription pharmaceuticals, the company announced it has signed a definitive merger agreement and completed the acquisition of Cobrek Pharmaceuticals, a privately-held, Chicago-based drug development company, for approximately $45 million.

Inc. magazine named Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy as one of the country's top 100 job creators as part of the business magazine's inaugural Hire Power Awards. Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy cracked the list at No. 94 with the addition of 233 new positions over the past three years and came in at No. 5 in the company's home state of Michigan.

BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — Kellogg has introduced a series of new breakfast food products, the company said Monday.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Even though many baby care products are manufactured "BPA-free," researchers from the University of Michigan School of Public Health found that bisphenol A, a chemical used in many consumer products, including plastic bottles and metal food and beverage cans, is common in fetal liver tissue, demonstrating that there is considerable exposure to the chemical during pregnancy.

ALLEGAN, Mich. — The Food and Drug Administration has approved a drug from Perrigo and Cobrek Pharmaceuticals for treating scalp conditions.

Perrigo said that Cobrek, with which it is partnering, had received approval for betamethasone validate foam in the 0.12% strength. The drug is a generic version of Luxiq foam, made by GlaxoSmithKline subsidiary Stiefel Labs, and is used to treat corticosteroid-responsive skin conditions of the scalp, also known as scalp psoriasis.

The branded version of the drug has annual sales of about $40 million, according to Perrigo.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Midwestern mass merchandise retailer Meijer will serve as a regional sponsor for an initiative led by the American Diabetes Association, the ADA said.

The group said it had signed a deal whereby Meijer would serve as a regional sponsor for the next five years for the Stop Diabetes Movement in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky. Activities will include diabetes camps, walks and others.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A company that makes disposable flossers is giving away $40,000 in a contest to mark the 40 years the product has been available.

Plackers, which credits itself as the maker of the first disposable flosser, said people could buy specially marked packages of Plackers flossers, including Micro Mint, Gentle Fine, Twin-Line and GentleSlide and enter to win the grand prize. Other prize winners will receive an Apple iPad, iPod Nano or a year's supply of flossers.

ALLEGAN. Mich. — Business for OTC store brands is expected to boom in the coming year, Perrigo chairman and CEO Joseph Papa told analysts discussing the private-label manufacturer's first-quarter results during a conference call Wednesday, even as the growth rate across the entire OTC category slows. "What we are seeing though, is the continued acceleration of store brand as being the reason why we're seeing the growth in our OTC category. For us to have a 9.4% growth in our OTC category, we think is a strong indication," Papa said.