"The acquisition of Bold Formulators has significant strategic importance for MANA because it provides extensive formulation and production capability within the United States," said John C. Rabby, president and CEO of MANA, also headquartered in Raleigh. "This improves MANA's flexibility and response time in meeting the changing needs of our customers."

Rabby said MANA plans to retain the staff, assets and status of Bold as an independent contract formulator, along with the company's name. Jim Workman will continue as president of Bold.

"This is an expected and very positive event for Bold because MANA will now be able to help Bold move forward with additional investment in new equipment, technologies and capacity," Workman said.

Bold specializes in liquid and dry agrichemical formulations, providing all phases of product development and manufacturing: packaging, formulation, quality assurance and shipping. The company has more than 200,000 square feet of production and warehouse facilities that can operate 24/7 and manufacture flowable, dry flowable, wettable powder, and emulsifiable concentrate products. The Tifton and Ocilla plants provide several options for batch size, milling, packaging and bulk storage.

Quali-Pro offers a full-service selection of fungicides, herbicides, insecticides and plant growth regulators for commercial ornamental and turf markets.