This year’s election brought mudslinging, bad-mouthing and a country so divided that people were actually de-friending and un-following “friends” via their social media accounts.

According to the Chinese New Year, 2012 is the year of the dragon, but for many in the refrigerated and frozen foods industry, it was more like the year of mergers, acquisitions, buyouts, sellouts, resignations and new retail product launches.

It finally happened. Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ website, www.RFFmag.com, underwent an extreme makeover, complete with an updated navigational bar, gated content, photo galleries, new products, a list of associations and partners, expanded advertising opportunities and more.  

Lantmännen Unibake experienced a $1 million expansion to its St. Petersburg, Fla., headquarters facility. The 7,500-square-foot remodeling project includes Phase 1, a new 2,200-square-foot research and development lab and customer welcome/reception area. 

Evolution Fresh announced plans to open a juicery that will support 160 U.S. manufacturing jobs in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., later next year. 

Brookshire Grocery Co’s dairy plant in Tyler, Texas, switched to clear caps on the company’s Food Club milk products.