Movie review: 'The Informant!' loses steam Sep 19, 2009
Based on a true story, the movie focuses on Whitacre, who worked for Archer Daniels Midland, heading up its bio-products division in the early 1990s. When there's trouble with the production of the additive Lysine, he tells his bosses there's a mole - a plant from a Japanese rival. (San Francisco Chronicle)
In 'The Informant!' Matt Damon delivers a brave comic performance Sep 19, 2009
Whitacre spends much of the mid-1990s wearing an FBI mike to gather evidence of price-fixing at Archer Daniels Midland, the Decatur, Ill. agribusiness giant. (FOX59, IN)
ADM's price fixing movie opens in firm's hometown Sep 19, 2009
DECATUR -- In Decatur, soybeans and corn are big business, and nobody is bigger than Archer Daniels Midland Company. People in the central Illinois city listen to the radio station WSOY, borrow money from Soy Capital Bank and Trust and stay at the Soy City Motel -- all a testament to just how much ADM means to Decatur. (The Pantagraph newspaper)
Review: 'Informant!' misses the mark Sep 19, 2009
The whistle-blower worthy of an exclamation point in this groovy-looking, chuckle-baiting, fact-based movie from protean director Steven Soderbergh is Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon), a biochemist and well-placed executive at the agri-processing giant Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) in Decatur, Illinois. It's the early 1990s. (CNN -- Showbiz)
'Informant!' teeters between great, awful Sep 19, 2009
Mark Whitacre was a star executive at agri-giant Archer Daniels Midland who tattled on the company's vast international price-fixing scheme ... When we meet him in the early '90s, as a young and ambitious executive at the agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland, he seems to be a company man through and through. (Fresno Bee)
'The Informant!': Liars, Inc., By Kurt Loder Sep 19, 2009
It's October of 1992, and Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon), a hotshot executive at Archer Daniels Midland, the giant agricultural conglomerate, is going about his job. He has a full plate at the moment. (VHI.com -- Music News)
"The Informant!" Funny! Weird! Not all there! Sep 18, 2009
It stars Matt Damon, clad in early-'90s guywear, chunky eyeglasses and a couple dozen extra pounds of pudge, in the way-strange-but-mostly-true story of Mark Whitacre, a high-level corporate whistle-blower who exposed an enormous price-fixing scheme at Archer Daniels Midland, the massive agribusiness conglomerate. If the basic outline of "The Informant!" makes it sound a lot like Michael Mann's memorable, elegaic "The Insider," right down to taking a handsome Hollywood star (Russell Crowe, in... (Salon)
The Informant: Matt Damon's Weighty Comedy Sep 18, 2009
" That critics are giving Damon high marks for his work here is in part their welcoming of a movie star to the ranks of character actors, but also because he instantly slips into the role and takes it over, because he's so plausible and comfortable playing an ordinary fellow. And felon, but never mind that till you see the movie. In the early '90s, Whitacre is president of the bio-chemicals division of the agro-giant Archer Daniels Midland. When the FBI launches an investigation into possible... (Time.com)
'The Informant' Sep 18, 2009
Matt Damon stars as Mark Whitacre in "The Informant," a comedy based on the real life story of a biochemist at Archer Daniels Midland ... Whitacre is a biochemist and executive on the climb at the agri-industry giant Archer Daniels Midland in the early 1990s. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Matt Damon plays ‘The Informant!’ for laughs Sep 18, 2009
Starting in the early 1990s, Whitacre, the youngest divisional president in the history of agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland, worked with the FBI to document a huge price-fixing scheme in which ADM and its rivals controlled the market for lysine, an essential amino acid ... The movie doesn t spell it out but strongly implies that this manic-depressive self-regard - the gnawing need to be a Master of the Universe - is what got Whitacre and Archer Daniels Midland into trouble, what got... (Boston Globe)
UU to host advanced screening of 'The Informant!' Sep 17, 2009
Mark Whitacre had the potential to become an executive in the agricultural business, Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). But when the FBI intervenes and appoints him as an informant, the potential job gets pushed to the back burner. (Daily Orange, NY)
The Informant! is so dry it crumbles Sep 17, 2009
Sure, Matt Damon provides a bizarre stream-of-consciousness non-sequitur narration as Mark Whitacre, the real-life biochemist who told the FBI about price-fixing at Archer Daniels Midland, and Marvin Hamlischs goofy score all but bruises your ribs by jabbing you with isnt this hilarious. wackiness. (MSNBC -- Movies)
Sweepstakes: 'The Informant!' Movie Prizes Sep 16, 2009
A rising star at agri-industry giant Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Whitacre (Matt Damon) suddenly turns whistleblower. Even as he exposes his company's multi-national price-fixing conspiracy to the FBI, Whitacre envisions himself being hailed as a hero of the common man and handed a promotion. (KSBW 8, CA)
'Informant!': black comedy with no white hats Sep 14, 2009
In "The Informant!," the actor plays Mark Whitacre, a real-life corporate whistle-blower who worked with the FBI in the 1990s to uncover a price-fixing scandal involving his employer, agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland. Slapped with a mega-fine and a class action suit, ADM eventually paid out $500 million. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
Clooney, Romero dazzle at film festival Sep 14, 2009
He plays Mark Whitacre, an executive at Archer Daniels Midland and a whistleblower who casts himself as the hero in the white hat but has a little problem with the truth, not to mention keeping his mouth shut. Asked at a press conference what his wife thought of his weight gain, he said, "There was just more of me to love. She was a good sport about it. We had fun. I loved parading around with my belly and my stepdaughter thought it was really funny, too," that he got "all squishy.". (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Young Romantics Sep 14, 2009
The movie opens in 1992, when Whitacre is the young president of the bio-products division at the agribusiness giant Archer Daniels Midland. He appears to be outraged that A.D.M. is fixing prices with its Japanese competitors for lysine an amino acid that goes into the corn-based foods that fill the aisles of American supermarkets. (New Yorker)
Hide and sneack Sep 13, 2009
EVERY night for three years in the early 1990s, Mark Whitacre lay awake, wondering how he was going to keep his job even though he was secretly taping executives at his company, agri-giant Archer Daniels Midland, helping the FBI to expose a price-fixing scheme ... EVERY night for three years in the early 1990s, Mark Whitacre lay awake, wondering how he was going to keep his job even though he was secretly taping executives at his company, agri-giant Archer Daniels Midland, helping the FBI to... (New York Post -- Entertainment)
DOT submits projects for stimulus funding Sep 12, 2009
-- 7 million for the addition of two 9,800-foot tracks to accommodate full-unit trains in preparation for an expansion at the Archer Daniels Midland facility that will increase rail traffic up to 40,000 cars annually for the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Railway Co.. -- 19. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
The Informant!: Corporate Whistleblowing with a Twist Sep 12, 2009
Corporate Whistleblowing with a Twist - TIME. " Whitacre would become the highest-ranking businessman ever to blow the whistle on his own company, and ADM would pay $500 million in penalties. Didn't they do this story a decade ago and call it The Insider? Yes, but director Steven Soderbergh wanted The Informant! to go somewhere else down the rabbit hole of Whitacre's mystifying mind. He seems the sunniest symbol of corporate America and middle America: smart, pleasant, undemonstrative, with a... (Time.com)
Fall Movie Preview: Studios save best films for fall Sep 11, 2009
D. who blows the whistle on Archer Daniels Midland. Steven Soderbergh directs. (Florida Today)
Going undercover Sep 9, 2009
Mark Whitacre was a divisional president of food company Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) until 1995, when it became known that he had been acting as an informant for the FBI over price-fixing. During the investigation, it was found that he had been embezzling millions of dollars from ADM and was jailed for nine years. (BBC News -- Entertainment)
Fall movies not to miss Sep 7, 2009
Steven Soderbergh directs a black comedy that's been described as part "A Beautiful Mind" and part "The Insider." Matt Damon stars as Mark Whitacre, a real-life Archer Daniels Midland executive turned whistle-blower, tipping off the FBI to one of the biggest price-fixing schemes in corporate history. The intensity of his undercover work brings out bipolar behavior. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Entertainment)
The PG's Fall Movie Preview Sep 3, 2009
": Matt Damon plays the highest ranking corporate whistleblower in American history in this Steven Soderbergh movie based on a book about a real-life rising star at Archer Daniels Midland. "Love Happens": Romantic drama starring Jennifer Aniston as a florist who has sworn off men and Aaron Eckhart as a self-help author who comes to Seattle to teach a sold-out seminar. "Jennifer's Body": Diablo Cody, who became a screenwriting sensation with "Juno," uses horror laced with comedy to mine the... (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, PA)
Commodity traders signal lift for prices Aug 31, 2009
The positive outlook from traders including Glencore, Cargill, Mitsubishi, Archer Daniels Midland and Noble Group comes after a tough first half for the sector, with most companies reporting a plunge in sales and profits. But executives were optimistic for the second half on the back of Chinas stimulus package. (FT.com -- Markets)
Shortline railroads keep American towns humming Aug 26, 2009
With patrons like Kraft Foods, Archer Daniels Midland, Cargill and Perdue churning out Cool Whip, corn sweeteners, cereal grains and chicken feed, the little railroad helped hatch a "food corridor" that has once again ducked hard times hitting vast sectors of the economy- not least, the bellwether rail industry. As big carriers abandoned old branch lines considered too short or remote to be profitable, micro-enterprises conjuring a bygone era filled the vacuum, bearing quirky or parochial names... (Anchorage Daily News)
CORRECTING and REPLACING New Line Records Releases Soundtrack for "The Informant!" Aug 26, 2009
is based on the true story of Mark Whitacre (Matt Damon), a rising star at agri-industry giant Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) who suddenly turns whistleblower. Even as he exposes his companys multi-national price-fixing conspiracy to the FBI, Whitacre envisions himself being hailed as a hero of the common man and handed a promotion. (Yahoo! Wire -- Entertainment News)
5 Bay Area women make power ranking Aug 21, 2009
Several women with previous Bay Area business ties also made the list: Former Chevron executive, now CEO of Archer Daniels Midland Patricia Woertz (26); executive Barbar DeSoer (28); and Terri Dial, former executive who now heads North American operations for (72). San Francisco Business Times. (San Jose Business Journal, CA)
Slumdog engineers of Suame magazine Aug 21, 2009
They won contracts at several major U.S. companies, including Newmont Mining Corp., Coca-Cola, and the cocoa division of Archer Daniels Midland Co.. Under the first Newmont contract, valued at $30,000, the Suame Magazine artisans and repairmen were hired to build stairways, railways and platforms for massive Caterpillar trucks at the mining company. (Ghana Web, Ghana)
Free swim, no lifeguard in attendance Aug 10, 2009
5:35 am August 9, 2009, by Jay. But please, don t drown anybody. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- Opinion)
Farmers find no solace at Mo. grain fraud hearing Aug 8, 2009
Prosecutors say Gieseker promised farmers returns 50 percent to 100 percent above market through nonexistent contracts with Archer Daniels Midland Co.. She instead sold grain at spot prices and used proceeds from other grain sales to pay inflated prices to some farmers, the indictment alleges. (Jefferson City News Tribune, MO)
Stocks Extend Gains In Choppy Session Aug 6, 2009
Archer Daniels Midland ... Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), the agricultural commodities processor, said Q4 EPS plunged 83% to 10 cents ex items, well below views ... The global slowdown and a stronger dollar have taken a toll on agricultural commodities processor Archer Daniels Midland (ADM). (Investors Business Daily)
Archer Daniels Midland 4Q Falls on Weak Demand Aug 5, 2009
Archer Daniels Midland 4th-quarter profit drops on lower average selling prices, weak demand ... In this July 2, 2009 photo, the ADM logo is seen on a rail car that carries grain at the Archer Daniels Midland Company plant in Decatur, Ill ... Archer Daniels Midland said Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009, its fiscal fourth-quarter profit tumbled 83 percent as its results were pressured by higher corn costs, lower average selling prices and softer demand. (ABC News -- Wire)
Wall Street swings higher on positive housing data Aug 5, 2009
On corporate news, Archer Daniels Midland Co., the world's largest grain processor, tumbled after the company posted earnings-per-share that missed the average estimate of analysts. ConocoPhillips, the third-largest U.S. oil company, slid as crude oil dropped from a seven-week high. (Xinhuanet, China)
Nasdaq, S&P 500 Close Above Key Levels Aug 5, 2009
Archer Daniels Midland ... Earnings Tuesday: American Medical (), American Public Education (), Archer Daniels Midland (), Cameron International (), Cognizant Technology Solutions (), CVS Caremark (), Emergency Medical Services (), FTI Consulting (), Grand Canyon Education (), Iconix Brand Group (), Inergy (), Intercontinental Exchange (), Kraft Foods (), Marvel Entertainment (), Pegasystems (), Tessera Technology (), True Religion (), Valeant Pharmaceuticals () ... The global slowdown and a... (Investors Business Daily)
Train derailment spills corn near Greene Aug 5, 2009
The cars were owned by Archer Daniels Midland. The Butler County Sheriff s Office said the spill will shut down the rail line for a few days. (Waterloo Courier, IO)
Stocks Land on Green, Extend Summer Aug 5, 2009
The markets received a mixed batch of corporate earnings on Tuesday as Toyota Motor (TM) and CVS Caremark (CVS) beat the Street but agricultural giant Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) widely missed estimates. Meanwhile, crude oil took a step backward a day after the commodity nearly set a new 2009 closing high. (Fox News)
Archer Daniels Midland Aug 5, 2009
Local Search Site Search. THIS STORY HAS BEEN FORMATTED FOR EASY PRINTING. (Boston Globe)
ADM shares fall after earnings miss expectations Aug 5, 2009
Archer Daniels Midland Company is engaged in procuring, transporting, storing, processing, and; Patricia WoertzChairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer Steven MillsChief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President From The Lists Your resource for everything related to business in Chicago. 1. (Crain's Chicago Business)
Business Briefing Aug 3, 2009
-- Quarterly financial results from Archer Daniels Midland, CVS Caremark, D.R. Horton, Duke Energy, Electronic Arts, GMAC LLC, Kraft, Whole Foods. W. (San Francisco Chronicle -- Business)
Lodi, Caltrans in apparent stalemate over where truckers can make a turn (1) Aug 2, 2009
That's because Archer Daniels Midland is building a factory at the intersection, and the city was able to require the firm to pay for improvements at the intersection for trucks, King said. "That was happy coincidence," he said. (Lodi News Sentinel, CA)
Japan's Itochu Purchasing Ukrainian Corn as Substitute to U.S. Supplies Jul 30, 2009
5 million tons of corn in 2008, sourcing 99 percent from shippers of U.S. supplies including Cargill Inc., Archer Daniels Midland Co. and Bunge Ltd.. By expanding supply sources, Japan may be able to reduce purchasing costs as it can choose the cheapest origin, said , the president of Tokyo-based Unipac Grain Ltd. Ukraine and Russia could become strong competitors against the U.S. in the Asian feed grain markets as they are low-cost producers, he said. (Bloomberg -- Asia)
How We Tripled Our Money in a Year Jul 27, 2009
Not only is it up more than 200%, but it's outperformed other well-known China plays, such as China Life Insurance (NYSE: LFC), Chinalco (NYSE: ACH), and Shanda Interactive (Nasdaq: SNDA), as well as other well-known agriculture plays, such as Monsanto (NYSE: MON) and Archer Daniels Midland (NYSE: ADM). Your takeawayNow, you may not have the resources to travel to China to check up on all of the small, cheap, and fast-growing companies there that you may be interested in owning. (MSNBC -- Business)
Stories you might have missed (33) Jul 26, 2009
Another story you might have missed was Greg Burns' July 16, Chicago Tribune column on "The Informant," the about-to-be released, Hollywood movie on the 1990s price-fixing scandal at Archer Daniels Midland. Scheduled for general distribution Oct. 9, the movie, centering on ADM wonderboy-turned-FBI mole Mark Whitacre, features mega-star Matt Damon in the lead role. (Sioux City Journal)
Woman charged in alleged $27 million grain fraud Jul 22, 2009
She is accused of promising farmers that she had contracts with Archer Daniels Midland Co. and could provide returns of 50 percent to 100 percent more than market prices. But prosecutors say Gieseker didn't have contracts with Archer Daniels Midland for above-market prices. (Jefferson City News Tribune, MO)
Real Estate, 7/12 Jul 11, 2009
5400 N. Cotner Blvd., Archer Daniels Midland Co., install scale tanks, bucket elevator tower, 350,000. Transfers. (Columbus Telegram, NE)
Obituaries for Saturday, July 4, 2009 Jul 4, 2009
Ray also worked as a night security guard at Archer Daniels Midland in Winona for several years. He farmed until his retirement. (Winona Daily News, MN)
COLUMN: Applying existing technologies to store CO2 Jun 24, 2009
At the Illinois Basin Decatur Project, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the ISGS is partnering with Schlumberger Carbon Services and the Archer Daniels Midland Company to sequester 1 million metric tons of CO2 over a three-year period at ADM s ethanol production facility in Decatur. When it is operational, FutureGen could sequester up to 1 million tons per year. (Mattoon Journal-Gazette, IL)
Letters to the editor: June 11 edition Jun 16, 2009
They partnered with agro-business giant Archer Daniels Midland to build a production plant (due to come online later this year) with the initial capacity to produce 55,000 tons of Mirel a year. I put plastic in quotes because most people think all plastic is petroleum based. (Lincoln Journal, MA)
Embargo on Cuba loosens, by stages Jun 16, 2009
Companies that export to Cuba include such industry giants as Cargill, Archer Daniels Midland Co., Tyson Foods, and Perdue. There are also some exceptions to the embargo allowing US biotechnology companies to develop drugs created in Cuba. (Christian Science Monitor -- World)
Twig Holland: Fairfield's Town Buyer Jun 5, 2009
In turn it was sold to big companies like Kraft, Archer Daniels Midland, Beatrice Foods, and big dairies like Hood. Then Alfa Laval got into turn-key operations, which meant they would build an entire plant. (Fairfield Minuteman, CT)
Market Forecaster May 29, 2009
Poet LLC, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is the largest ethanol company, followed by Decatur, Illinois-based Archer Daniels Midland Co.. Midwest Market Solutions is the leading edge in commodity marketing and trading. (Midwest Bulls Eye, NE)
Collusion Course May 29, 2009
Warren likens the Rosemont confab to the Yalta conference or, perhaps, the infamous in Apalachin, N.Y. But if the news honchos aren't very, very careful, the more apt analogy may be a at which representatives of agricultural-products giants gathered under the guise of a trade-association meeting to fix prices for a chemical called lysinea story that ended up with federal criminal convictions and Archer Daniels Midland and others paying hundreds of millions of dollars in fines (not to mention... (Slate)
Cargill, Bunge Win Most USDA Loan Support Since 1992 as Bank Credit Slows May 27, 2009
May 27 (Bloomberg) -- Cargill Inc., Archer Daniels Midland Co. and. are benefiting from the most government support for farm exports since 1992 as the U.S. steps up loan guarantees for foreign buyers unable to get credit. (Bloomberg -- US)
Genetic modification May 26, 2009
neo wrote on May 25, 2009 4:50 PM:" Great article. I've been eating whole food for a long time. For those of you wanting more info read 'The omnivore's dilemma.' ConAgra and Archer daniels Midland are equal or worse than the one mentioned by chickenman.Peace ". edward wrote on May 25, 2009 7:25 AM:" Good info., chickenman, most dont realize whats happening, nor do they care. Funny, seems most would rather get sick, than try to get well, than prevent before the fact EDDDD ". (Montrose Daily Press, CO)
How to Turn a Quail-Breeding Farm Into $5.2 Billion May 24, 2009
The Hope Group would have never made it in the U.S., because our market is too mature and is populated by competitive giants like Archer Daniels Midland and Cargill. Nor would an American-based multinational have generated these returns. (MSNBC -- Business)
W.S. Darley wins Business of the Year award May 24, 2009
Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Stanley, won the award for Quadrant 4. ADM transforms crops into food ingredients and uses new technologies to create agriculturally derived fuels and chemicals. (Chippewa Falls Chippewa Herald, WI)
Green Plains to buy 2 VeraSun plants for $123.5M May 22, 2009
That would rank the company behind Poet LLC, Archer Daniels Midland Co., and Valero Energy Corp.. Green Plains' four other plants are in Iowa, Indiana and Tennessee. (Sioux City Journal, IO)
Agricultural Output Must Increase to Meet Global Demand, Executives Say May 19, 2009
Archer Daniels Midland Co., the worlds largest grain processor, reached a record $48. 95 a share in April 2008 before falling as low as $13. (Bloomberg -- Canada)
Brazilian Bond Yields Fall as Government Measures Clear Way for Rate Cuts May 14, 2009
It was clear that we would have profit taking this week and it happened today, hitting the real, said , senior financial analyst at Archer Daniels Midland Co. in Sao Paulo. Palaria doesnt expect the currency to reverse its strengthening trend and may reach 2 per U.S. dollar as early as the end of the month. (Bloomberg -- Latin America)
ADM Directors Declare Cash Dividend May 8, 2009
May 7 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Board of Directors of Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ) today declared a cash dividend of 14 cents per share on the Company's stock payable June 11, 2009, to Shareholders of record May 21, 2009 ... Every day, the 27,000 people of Archer Daniels Midland Company (NYSE: ) turn crops into renewable products that meet the demands of a growing world ... SOURCE Archer Daniels Midland Company. (PR Newswire)
Archer Daniels Midland profit tumbles May 6, 2009
Archer Daniels Midland Co., a major corn and soybean processor and ethanol maker, said Tuesday its fiscal third-quarter profit tumbled an unexpectedly sharp 98 per cent due to a drop in sales along with an unexpected tax payment and a loss on equity investments ... Archer Daniels Midland ... During a conference call Tuesday, analysts questioned weather Archer Daniels Midland could continue to reap the high profits it reported last year when a global supply crunch of crops boosted food prices... (Globe and Mail -- Business)
Archer Daniels Midland's 3Q profit tumbles May 5, 2009
-- Agribusiness company Archer Daniels Midland says its fiscal third-quarter profit tumbled 98 percent due to a steep drop in sales and one-time losses related to equity investments. The Decatur, Ill. (Fresno Bee -- Business)
Stocks Up Sharply; Nasdaq Retakes 200-Day Line May 5, 2009
Archer Daniels Midland ... Earnings to be announced Tuesday: Archer Daniels Midland (), Avon Products (), Centex (), Cephalon (), CVS Caremark (), Emergency Medical Services (), IntercontinentalExchange (), J2 Global Communications (), Marvel Entertainment (), Molson Coors Brewing (), Pantry (), RiskMetrics (), Steven Madden (), Teva Pharmaceuticals () and Walt Disney (). (Investors Business Daily)
Loblaw, WestJet report earnings, Tuesday May 2, 2009
Archer Daniels Midland Co. reports. Analysts expect third-quarter share profit of 49 cents (U.S.), down from 80 cents a year ago. (Globe and Mail -- Business)
Word on the Street: Fan of mixed martial arts behind magazine Apr 28, 2009
The Archer Daniels Midland Co. plant in southeast Fresno now carries the name of Stratas Foods thanks to a new partnership between ADM and ACH Food Companies. The new joint venture is designed to capitalize on the manufacturing capabilities of previous operator ADM and the marketing prowess of ACH, plant manager Roger Metzler said. (Fresno Bee)
