Latest news with #Fleischmann
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
ACS Group's DRAGADOS to acquire Fleischmann to boost digital infrastructure
Infrastructure company ACS Group, through its construction arm DRAGADOS, has announced the acquisition of Fleischmann, a Chilean company specialising in various sectors such as data centres and industrial facilities. In a statement, ACS Group said the move was part of its strategy to strengthen its position in the digital infrastructure sector and offer integrated services globally. The deal is pending regulatory approvals. Fleischmann, with over eight decades of experience and a workforce exceeding 1,200, offers integrated solutions from design to maintenance and has executed complex, large-scale projects. The Santiago-based company has a regional presence and is stated to be poised to meet the demand for digital infrastructure. Fleischmann has been involved in multiple international projects in diverse environments. The company established Fleischmann Lab three years ago, a centre aimed at embedding digital technology into construction processes, leading to the creation of new units focused on digital solutions and data centres. This acquisition is strategically aligned with Chile's National Data Center Plan, which anticipates an investment of around $2.5bn over the next five years. DRAGADOS and ACS Group can now engage in this initiative and foster collaborations with global tech companies, as Chile enhances its regional connectivity hub status, states ACS. DRAGADOS CEO Santiago García Salvador said: 'This acquisition strengthens our presence in Latin America and enhances our ability to support global clients with advanced digital infrastructure solutions. Fleischmann's experience and proven track record align perfectly with our long-term strategic vision.' Last month, ACS Group subsidiary Turner Construction Company introduced xPL Offsite, its new subsidiary for offsite manufacturing. "ACS Group's DRAGADOS to acquire Fleischmann to boost digital infrastructure" was originally created and published by World Construction Network, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Chicago Tribune
25-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Trump Truth Store owner agrees to vacate Huntley building amid eviction threats — but hopes to soon reopen in a larger location
The owner of a controversial Trump-themed store facing eviction in Chicago's northwest suburbs has agreed to move out of the building next month as part of a settlement agreement with the landlord filed Wednesday in McHenry County Circuit Court. Yet Lisa Fleischmann of the Trump Truth Store in Huntley said she hasn't given up her vision for a local shop dedicated to making America great again: The entrepreneur said she hopes to soon relocate to a new space in a nearby suburb, preferably one with more square footage. 'People want to know the truth; they support my fight,' said Fleischmann, who appeared in court wearing a black tube top reading '45-47 Take America back,' sandals decorated with a copy of President Donald Trump's signature and a faux crystal 'Trump' choker with an American flag. 'The people of Huntley definitely support what I'm doing,' she said. 'I'm like a celebrity whenever I go out to any of these functions. It's insane.' Her store was accused of violating Huntley building and sign ordinances, partially because of a 6-foot-tall blow-up replica of Trump that greets passersby outside the shop along Illinois Route 47, as well as her use of sidewalk space for outdoor signs and merchandise. Several citations were filed in January against the store's landlord, Ricky Lynfield Inc., which then threatened the business with eviction. The store owner said she believes Huntley officials were discriminating against her business based on politics. During an interview with the Tribune in May, Fleischmann had pledged to fight the so-called municipal swamp, arguing the village ordinances were old, overburdensome and unfairly enforced. 'Everybody has stuff all over the place,' she added outside the courtroom. 'Their ordinances are so outdated.' Huntley officials said in a written statement that they've been trying to work with Fleischmann for the past year to comply with the sign ordinance governing the village of about 28,000 residents about 50 miles northwest of downtown Chicago. 'However, Ms. Fleischmann insists on maintaining signage in violation of the ordinance that includes temporary banners, flags, inflatable figures and signs placed within the right-of-way,' the statement said. But now the Trump inflatable outside her store — and all the other Make America Great Again and DOGE merchandise inside the shop — will have to be removed by 6 p.m. on July 17, according to the settlement. Fleischmann said she agreed to the settlement in part because she doesn't want to continue to bother her landlord with the matter, calling him 'a great guy' who has faced tremendous blowback over the controversy. 'My landlord is definitely not the villain,' she said. 'I have no animosity towards him.' The high-profile store was the site of dueling protests late last month: Roughly 100 supporters of Trump Truth rallied on May 31 to defend the business, many adorned in Trump-themed apparel, as drivers passing by honked in approval. About a half-mile from the store, 200 detractors demonstrated against the business, eliciting a separate flurry of honks from cars. Joe Gottemoller, lawyer for the landlord, said his client is 'quite happy to have this done.' The attorney also stressed that the eviction proceedings had nothing to do with Fleischmann's politics or the kind of merchandise she sells. 'I don't believe it's political at all,' said Gottemoller, a Republican who also serves on the McHenry County Board. 'Most towns have these ordinances. It's not just Huntley.' He added that the sign and building code violations pending against the landlord will likely be resolved after the store is gone. As for Fleischmann, she vowed that the settlement doesn't mark the end of the Trump Truth Store but rather a chance for a new beginning. She's already been searching for another larger location, perhaps somewhere in Algonquin or Carpentersville. Fleischmann hopes to find a site that's around 3,000 or 4,000 square feet – roughly three or four times the size of her current strip mall location. In the meantime, she plans to continue selling merchandise online to help raise funds for rent at a future location. Her trinkets include drinking glasses bearing the phrase 'BULLETPROOF TRUMP,' with a mock bullet lodged on one side, an apparent nod to the assassination attempt during the 2024 presidential campaign. There are also products celebrating the 'Gulf of America,' the newly renamed Gulf of Mexico, among Trump's earliest executive orders. Signs declaring that Democratic Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker 'sucks' also seemed popular with customers, according to the business website. Fleischmann said the roughly 900-square-foot space in Huntley was never big enough, dismissively calling it 'a closet.' She dreams of reopening as early as September or October, in a new spot big enough to include a replica Oval Office where children can sit at a desk pretending to be president or pose for pictures. She wants to host communal gathering spaces for like-minded folks to share ideas on how to 'Make America Healthy Again,' one of the Trump administration's stated goals despite making deep cuts to public health and scientific research that have deeply concerned many doctors and scientists. To Fleischmann, the eviction settlement doesn't represent defeat. 'I wanted to move,' she added, fingering a 'Trump' lanyard connected to her keys and a wallet adorned with the president's likeness. 'I needed a bigger space.'
Chicago Tribune
01-06-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Huntley ‘Trump Truth' store hosts dueling rallies as owner vows to stay open
Outside of her Huntley brick-and-mortar 'Trump & Truth' memorabilia shop, owner Lisa Fleischmann met with about 100 supporters who gathered on Saturday to support for Fleischmann and her business's right to exist following recent clashes with village officials. Many of the supporters, who included a 12-year-old girl dressed as the president, donned pro-Trump t-shirts and other attire, waving American flags to catch the attention of passersby, some of whom slammed on their horns in solidarity. Tables set up just outside of the strip mall store were stocked with beverages, pizza and snacks to keep the crowd energized for the afternoon. Just a half-mile south of the store on Illinois Route 47, about 200 people gathered to protest the store along the roadside with its fair share of supportive honks from drivers passing the sea of protest signs amid cheers and noisemakers. The support rally came in response to news about the tussle between Fleischmann and the village over accusations that the pro-Trump store violated village sign ordinance and building codes with its inflatable dolls of President Trump and a banner hanging outside of the store. Fleischmann and her supporters believe the scrutiny is due to her support for Trump. Her landlord has also threatened eviction after facing several citations themselves in January, but attorney David Shestokas, of Orland Park, said the eviction threat is due to pressure from the village, adding her defense includes 'possible violations of First Amendment rights.' Trump-themed shop could be closed over code issues, but owner says it's political 'Some of the citations they've given, there are other businesses in the area that have had the same stuff like things in front of the businesses or on the sidewalk and they've not been bothered even slightly,' Shestokas said. We're putting together our defense with evidence on what appears to be unequal treatment.' Shestokas said he is 'extraordinarily optimistic that we'll reach a resolution that's favorable for Lisa.' Fleischmann appeared to be in high spirits Saturday, talking to customers nonstop as they perused and purchased the Trump merchandise that covered nearly every inch of the store near the intersection of Main Street and Illinois Route 47. She said that while weekends were usually busy for her, the energy on Saturday was different. 'Everybody is so great, and people coming from all over to support me means so much,' Fleischmann said. 'It's been so fun.' Mercedes Beard said it's 'very unfair and wrong' for Fleischmann to have to deal with the village 'trying to intimidate her.' At the counter-protest, organizer Vivian Lenski, of Huntley, said her event was in part to organize against Trump and his agenda but also to show that business owners 'can't do whatever they want.' 'It's not against (Fleischmann) or her store specifically, anybody can open a store, though it's kind of an eyesore, but if she's not following the rules, it's not right,' Lenski said. 'She's got to follow the law just like everyone else.' The groups, for the most part, did not appear to interact with one another aside from a brief exchange between a lone anti-Trump protester who stood across the road from Fleischmann's store and one of her supporters who crossed the road the meet him. Tina Zucker, of St. Charles, and her daughter Lee Zucker, of DeKalb, protest and said it was important to them to be at the counterprotest, though neither of them lives in Huntley. 'We've been to similar protests in the past and the goal is always to show up and get seen by people, especially the ones who can make change happen like our senators,' Lee Zucker said. She also brought along her 6-year-old daughter, who alternated between cheering with her mom and grandma and playing in the grass. 'She doesn't understand a lot of what's going on, but she knows that we should be treating people well and be kind, and I think that's enough,' Lee Zucker said. Back at Fleischmann's store, supporters echoed their belief that pressure against the business was political. David and Mercedes Beard drove about 40 minutes from Sycamore to show their support for the store. Their first visit was about a week ago, and they knew they had to return for the rally. 'People are trying to shut her down however they can,' David Beard said. 'It's a political move. For me, I don't care whether you're a Democrat or Republican, you still have the right to be here and run your business.'
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
GOP allies in farm and food are sweating RFK Jr.'s big report
An expected report Thursday from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. assessing the causes of chronic disease in children could test whether Republicans in Congress can get along with a health secretary keen on regulating farm and food companies. Republican lawmakers representing agriculture and food manufacturing districts have warned Kennedy to lay off, but they and the industries they represent are still fretting the report. They worry it will point to pesticides and food dyes as potential causes for kids' diseases and propose regulation that could cut profits and cost jobs. Even if Kennedy steers clear of regulatory proposals, they fear his report could dampen demand for the products their constituents make. 'We have 88,000 farms in Missouri, and so my goal is to make sure that we feed Missouri and we feed the world, and we make sure that our producers have the tools they need to have the most effective crops, the healthiest crops,' said GOP Rep. Mark Alford, who represents a broad swath of soybean and corn farms southeast of Kansas City. President Donald Trump's embrace of an environmental activist long on the far left of the Democratic Party worked out great in last year's election and most Republicans in Congress endorsed Trump's decision to let Kennedy 'go wild' on health care. But lately, they've asked him pointed questions about what's coming in his Make America Healthy Again Commission's report. Kennedy has said repeatedly he believes food companies make people sick for profit. At a Senate hearing this week, Kennedy told Mississippi Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith that farmers have nothing to worry about from his report. He offered similar assurances to Republicans at a House hearing last week, including Andy Harris, whose Eastern Shore constituents use pesticides to protect their corn, soybeans, and wheat. 'We cannot make America healthy again without the partnership of the American farmers. We cannot be putting them out of business,' Kennedy told Harris. Kennedy also sought to assuage Chuck Fleischmann, whose eastern Tennessee district includes a Mars candy plant that uses artificial dyes Kennedy believes are harming kids' brains. The plant produces the country's colorful peanut M&M supply. 'We can all have some M&Ms and little Debbies together,' Fleischmann told Kennedy, adding: 'I think these dyes are safe.' Fleischmann got Kennedy's pledge to work with him and, so far, the GOP is holding its fire. When a POLITICO reporter asked Fleischmann about his concerns this week, he demurred, saying candy makers are more worried about cocoa tariffs than a crackdown on food manufacturing. Other Republicans are all-in on Kennedy's plans. During a confirmation hearing earlier this year, Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville told Kennedy he thought one common dye, Red No. 3, which is used in candy, drinks and chips, causes cancer. 'What in the heck's going on?' Tuberville asked. Whether Kennedy is successful in pursuing his goal of rooting out chemicals in our food will depend on whether he's able to win more such allies. Kennedy's ideas about how to make Americans healthy — by restricting certain food ingredients and pesticides, removing fluoride from drinking water and discouraging Americans from eating ultraprocessed foods, among other things — are reminiscent of European-style rules many GOP members despise. 'We don't need to be over-regulated, and the regulations that we do have need to be based on science,' said Alford. The brother-in-law of a farmer, he co-led a letter in April signed by 78 other Republicans in the House and Senate urging Kennedy's MAHA Commission 'to use sound science and risk-based analysis in its policy decisions, particularly on crop protection tools and food-grade ingredients.' 'We've got to make sure that our policy from the EPA and others who are trying to regulate farming in America are not hijacked by radical groups, environmental groups, that really want to see us go back 100 years in our farming practices,' Alford told POLITICO. Sen. Chuck Grassley, whose home state of Iowa keeps the world fed on corn, soybeans, and pork, also fears longtime GOP nemeses in the environmental movement are trying to infiltrate Trump's government. He said stakeholders are telling him 'that the creation of this MAHA report has lacked transparency,' in a statement to POLITICO. Grassley said he wanted to know whether Kennedy and the staff working on the report met with food and agriculture executives or only with environmental groups. He also questioned whether Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and other members of the MAHA Commission that Trump created in February were consulted in developing the report. 'We want to make sure sound science is the basis of these conclusions,' Grassley said. Kennedy's report is expected to target pesticides as one of the many reasons for Americans' soaring rates of chronic disease, said one person familiar with the matter granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Kennedy's opposition to pesticides is well-known. As a lawyer, he helped win a landmark lawsuit in which the plaintiff alleged that glyphosate, the active ingredient in the weedkiller Roundup, caused his cancer. The German conglomerate Bayer, which makes Roundup, is facing billions in legal liability from thousands of lawsuits alleging similar harm. Manufacturers maintain that these chemicals, used as directed by the EPA, are safe to use at very low levels — and Bayer denies glyphosate causes cancer. A decade ago, the International Agency for Research on Cancer declared glyphosate 'probably carcinogenic to humans' but the EPA, two years later, said it was 'not likely to be carcinogenic to humans.' Still, various studies have found links between glyphosate and some cancers and that the herbicide can have other adverse health impacts. That has leaders of Kennedy's Make America Healthy Again movement pushing back against congressional Republicans' concerns and accusing federal regulatory agencies of capture by the industries they're meant to regulate. In a letter to Kennedy Wednesday, movement leaders urged Kennedy to 'stand firm.' Farm interests and their allies in Congress 'seek to protect corporations at the expense of the American families,' wrote the more than 300 signatories, including Dave Murphy, Kennedy's former campaign finance director; Zen Honeycutt, Moms Across America's executive director, and Marla Maples, the co-founder of the Global Wellness Forum and Trump's ex-wife. Farm and food lobbyists are blowing up lawmakers' phones and ratcheting up spending as they seek to counter accusations from Kennedy and push back on the charges they fear his report will level. Farm groups are especially peeved the administration has essentially brushed off their concerns about how the report will treat pesticides. 'Should the MAHA Commission report baselessly attack and, worse yet, make claims that are simply untrue against the hardworking men and women who feed our nation, it will make further cooperation on this initiative very difficult and potentially put American food production at risk,' groups like the National Corn Growers Association and the International Fresh Produce Association wrote in a recent statement. 'Grower groups are becoming furious that we've asked for meetings and have heard nothing,' said one person close to the pressure campaign. Bayer, the maker of Roundup, earlier this month stood up an interactive exhibit in Washington's Union Station, a short walk from the Capitol, about the importance of pesticides for keeping food prices low. In an interview last week, Bayer CEO Bill Anderson said that Kennedy has still not responded to his request for a meeting. While Trump largely favored traditional GOP farm interests in his first term, he's embraced Kennedy's agenda in his second. Trump believes Kennedy's endorsement last August helped him beat Kamala Harris and will also help Republicans in Congress keep their majorities in next year's election. Big food companies are finding that even their friends on Capitol Hill are less inclined to take their calls. It's 'sort of get on board and get out of the way,' described one food industry lobbyist granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. Grassley said in floor remarks Wednesday that he had concerns that key farm groups have struggled to get meetings with the administration about the report. 'I want everybody to know that I'm watching this report closely that's coming out tomorrow, and I hope it reflects what [Secretary] Kennedy told me when I met with him in my office,' said Grassley, referencing Kennedy's pre-confirmation promises to support the use of pesticides. Major conglomerates and trade associations whose products the MAHA movement have targeted have brought on new lobbying help or ramped up their spending since Kennedy was tapped to lead HHS. PIM Brands, the parent company of Welch's Fruit Snacks, retained top K Street firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck in April to work on 'health care-related matters affecting the food industry.' Nestle, one of the country's most prominent sweets manufacturers, boosted spending by almost 40 percent to more than $377,000 in the first quarter of the year compared to the same time in 2024. And lobbying spend for Mars, the M&Ms producer, increased by over 57 percent in the first quarter of this year compared with the first quarter of 2024. Meanwhile, the National Oilseed Processors Association — Kennedy believes seed oils are unhealthy — hired the all-GOP firm CGCN Group to tout the 'importance of the domestic oilseed processing industry to the U.S. economy and American agriculture,' according to disclosures. Also in April, soft drink giant Coca-Cola enlisted the help of another firm, Kountoupes Denham Carr & Reid, to work on a range of issues related to the beverage industry, including trade and tax policy and food issues. Industry rival PepsiCo — whose non-soda brands include Lay's chips, Doritos and Cheetos — retained BGR Group to lobby Congress on issues related to the food and beverage industry, disclosures show. The firm is known for its strong ties to GOP lawmakers. Following Trump's election last year, the American Beverage Association, which counts Coca-Cola and Pepsi as members, hired Trump-tied firm Continental Strategy. The trade group reported dropping $790,000 on lobbying last quarter — the most it's spent in a single quarter since 2010.
Politico
21-05-2025
- Business
- Politico
GOP allies in farm and food are sweating RFK Jr.'s big report
An expected report Thursday from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. assessing the causes of chronic disease in children could test whether Republicans in Congress can get along with a health secretary keen on regulating farm and food companies. Republican lawmakers representing agriculture and food manufacturing districts have warned Kennedy to lay off, but they and the industries they represent are still fretting the report. They worry it will point to pesticides and food dyes as potential causes for kids' diseases and propose regulation that could cut profits and cost jobs. Even if Kennedy steers clear of regulatory proposals, they fear his report could dampen demand for the products their constituents make. 'We have 88,000 farms in Missouri, and so my goal is to make sure that we feed Missouri and we feed the world, and we make sure that our producers have the tools they need to have the most effective crops, the healthiest crops,' said GOP Rep. Mark Alford, who represents a broad swath of soybean and corn farms southeast of Kansas City. President Donald Trump's embrace of an environmental activist long on the far left of the Democratic Party worked out great in last year's election and most Republicans in Congress endorsed Trump's decision to let Kennedy 'go wild' on health care. But lately, they've asked him pointed questions about what's coming in his Make America Healthy Again Commission's report. Kennedy has said repeatedly he believes food companies make people sick for profit. At a Senate hearing this week, Kennedy told Mississippi Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith that farmers have nothing to worry about from his report. He offered similar assurances to Republicans at a House hearing last week, including Andy Harris, whose Eastern Shore constituents use pesticides to protect their corn, soybeans, and wheat. 'We cannot make America healthy again without the partnership of the American farmers. We cannot be putting them out of business,' Kennedy told Harris. Kennedy also sought to assuage Chuck Fleischmann, whose eastern Tennessee district includes a Mars candy plant that uses artificial dyes Kennedy believes are harming kids' brains. The plant produces the country's colorful peanut M&M supply. 'We can all have some M&Ms and little Debbies together,' Fleischmann told Kennedy, adding: 'I think these dyes are safe.' Fleischmann got Kennedy's pledge to work with him and, so far, the GOP is holding its fire. When a POLITICO reporter asked Fleischmann about his concerns this week, he demurred, saying candy makers are more worried about cocoa tariffs than a crackdown on food manufacturing. Other Republicans are all-in on Kennedy's plans. During a confirmation hearing earlier this year, Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville told Kennedy he thought one common dye, Red No. 3, which is used in candy, drinks and chips, causes cancer. 'What in the heck's going on?' Tuberville asked. Whether Kennedy is successful in pursuing his goal of rooting out chemicals in our food will depend on whether he's able to win more such allies. Kennedy's ideas about how to make Americans healthy — by restricting certain food ingredients and pesticides, removing fluoride from drinking water and discouraging Americans from eating ultraprocessed foods, among other things — are reminiscent of European-style rules many GOP members despise. 'We don't need to be over-regulated, and the regulations that we do have need to be based on science,' said Alford. The brother-in-law of a farmer, he co-led a letter in April signed by 78 other Republicans in the House and Senate urging Kennedy's MAHA Commission 'to use sound science and risk-based analysis in its policy decisions, particularly on crop protection tools and food-grade ingredients.' 'We've got to make sure that our policy from the EPA and others who are trying to regulate farming in America are not hijacked by radical groups, environmental groups, that really want to see us go back 100 years in our farming practices,' Alford told POLITICO. Sen. Chuck Grassley, whose home state of Iowa keeps the world fed on corn, soybeans, and pork, also fears longtime GOP nemeses in the environmental movement are trying to infiltrate Trump's government. He said stakeholders are telling him 'that the creation of this MAHA report has lacked transparency,' in a statement to POLITICO. Grassley said he wanted to know whether Kennedy and the staff working on the report met with food and agriculture executives or only with environmental groups. He also questioned whether Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and other members of the MAHA Commission that Trump created in February were consulted in developing the report. 'We want to make sure sound science is the basis of these conclusions,' Grassley said. Kennedy's report is expected to target pesticides as one of the many reasons for Americans' soaring rates of chronic disease, said one person familiar with the matter granted anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly. Kennedy's opposition to pesticides is well-known. As a lawyer, he helped win a landmark lawsuit in which the plaintiff alleged that glyphosate, the active ingredient in the weedkiller Roundup, caused his cancer. The German conglomerate Bayer, which makes Roundup, is facing billions in legal liability from thousands of lawsuits alleging similar harm. Manufacturers maintain that these chemicals, used as directed by the EPA, are safe to use at very low levels — and Bayer denies glyphosate causes cancer. A decade ago, the International Agency for Research on Cancer declared glyphosate 'probably carcinogenic to humans' but the EPA, two years later, said it was 'not likely to be carcinogenic to humans.' Still, various studies have found links between glyphosate and some cancers and that the herbicide can have other adverse health impacts. That has leaders of Kennedy's Make America Healthy Again movement pushing back against congressional Republicans' concerns and accusing federal regulatory agencies of capture by the industries they're meant to regulate. In a letter to Kennedy Wednesday, movement leaders urged Kennedy to 'stand firm.' Farm interests and their allies in Congress 'seek to protect corporations at the expense of the American families,' wrote the more than 300 signatories, including Dave Murphy, Kennedy's former campaign finance director; Zen Honeycutt, Moms Across America's executive director, and Marla Maples, the co-founder of the Global Wellness Forum and Trump's ex-wife. Farm and food lobbyists are blowing up lawmakers' phones and ratcheting up spending as they seek to counter accusations from Kennedy and push back on the charges they fear his report will level. Farm groups are especially peeved the administration has essentially brushed off their concerns about how the report will treat pesticides. 'Should the MAHA Commission report baselessly attack and, worse yet, make claims that are simply untrue against the hardworking men and women who feed our nation, it will make further cooperation on this initiative very difficult and potentially put American food production at risk,' groups like the National Corn Growers Association and the International Fresh Produce Association wrote in a recent statement. 'Grower groups are becoming furious that we've asked for meetings and have heard nothing,' said one person close to the pressure campaign. Bayer, the maker of Roundup, earlier this month stood up an interactive exhibit in Washington's Union Station, a short walk from the Capitol, about the importance of pesticides for keeping food prices low. In an interview last week, Bayer CEO Bill Anderson said that Kennedy has still not responded to his request for a meeting. While Trump largely favored traditional GOP farm interests in his first term, he's embraced Kennedy's agenda in his second. Trump believes Kennedy's endorsement last August helped him beat Kamala Harris and will also help Republicans in Congress keep their majorities in next year's election. Big food companies are finding that even their friends on Capitol Hill are less inclined to take their calls. It's 'sort of get on board and get out of the way,' described one food industry lobbyist granted anonymity to discuss private conversations. Grassley said in floor remarks Wednesday that he had concerns that key farm groups have struggled to get meetings with the administration about the report. 'I want everybody to know that I'm watching this report closely that's coming out tomorrow, and I hope it reflects what [Secretary] Kennedy told me when I met with him in my office,' said Grassley, referencing Kennedy's pre-confirmation promises to support the use of pesticides. Major conglomerates and trade associations whose products the MAHA movement have targeted have brought on new lobbying help or ramped up their spending since Kennedy was tapped to lead HHS. PIM Brands, the parent company of Welch's Fruit Snacks, retained top K Street firm Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck in April to work on 'health care-related matters affecting the food industry.' Nestle, one of the country's most prominent sweets manufacturers, boosted spending by almost 40 percent to more than $377,000 in the first quarter of the year compared to the same time in 2024. And lobbying spend for Mars, the M&Ms producer, increased by over 57 percent in the first quarter of this year compared with the first quarter of 2024. Meanwhile, the National Oilseed Processors Association — Kennedy believes seed oils are unhealthy — hired the all-GOP firm CGCN Group to tout the 'importance of the domestic oilseed processing industry to the U.S. economy and American agriculture,' according to disclosures. Also in April, soft drink giant Coca-Cola enlisted the help of another firm, Kountoupes Denham Carr & Reid, to work on a range of issues related to the beverage industry, including trade and tax policy and food issues. Industry rival PepsiCo — whose non-soda brands include Lay's chips, Doritos and Cheetos — retained BGR Group to lobby Congress on issues related to the food and beverage industry, disclosures show. The firm is known for its strong ties to GOP lawmakers. Following Trump's election last year, the American Beverage Association, which counts Coca-Cola and Pepsi as members, hired Trump-tied firm Continental Strategy. The trade group reported dropping $790,000 on lobbying last quarter — the most it's spent in a single quarter since 2010.
