AT CLOSING NEWS.

Rooster.com, Bloomington, Minn., announced today an agreement in principle to merge Pradium Inc., an online business-to-business agricultural commodities marketplace, with its business operations. Rhem Wooten, current president and CEO of Pradium, has been named as the chief executive officer of the combined entity. The independently operated company will continue to draw upon key industry support in providing a dynamic, integrated offering to both the input and output sectors of agriculture. Pradium was formed as a separate company by ADM, Cargill Cenex Harvest States, DuPont and Louis Dreyfus. These companies also are strategic investors in Rooster.com.

Lessing-Flynn Advertising, Des Moines, Iowa, and Iowa-based Internet solutions company KG InterDev, LLC, have formed a new interactive communications company. LessingFlynn Interactive (LFi) was formed to bridge the gap between Web programming and marketing communications. The new Internet firm has a unique focus which empowers clients to manage and maintain their own Web content, keep content fresh and dynamic, and leverage the power of a unique "permission-marketing" e-mail system to get their message out instantly. In addition to technical expertise, LFi offers clients access to a suite of marketing communications services, including professional graphic design, copywriting, creative, brand development plus online and traditional media services.

Christian Gurney, who serves as LFi president, is the former head of CE Software Holdings, Inc., an e-mail and utility software developer. Richard Kirsner, LFi vice president, has been designing and implementing Internet e-commerce systems for the past six years. Bonnie Brouillet, director of business development, has a broad range of experience, including insurance, telecommunications, e-commerce development, client support services and management solutions.

Land O'Lakes, Inc., Arden Hills, Minn., and Kraft Foods, Inc., Northfield, Ill., have reached an agreement for the purchase of the Kraft cheese plant in Melrose, Minn., as an ongoing operation. Separately, Land O'Lakes and Dairy Farmers of America, Inc., Kansas City, Mo., today announced that they have reached an agreement for a joint venture, Melrose Dairy Proteins LLC, which will own and operate the Melrose plant. As part of the agreement, Land O'Lakes will offer employment to the Melrose facility's workforce, and Kraft will purchase a portion of the plant's output. The sale price was not disclosed. The sale is expected to be final in early March.

Biopharmaceutical firm CytRx Corp., Atlanta, has entered into a license agreement with Ivy Animal Health, Inc., Overland Park, Kan. The license provides Ivy a worldwide exclusive license to CytRx's investigational agent, CRL-8761, a non-antibiotic feed additive that enhances growth performance in monogastric food animals such as poultry and pigs. As part of the license, CytRx will receive a nominal upfront payment, a milestone fee upon regulatory approval in the United States and a royalty fee equal to 5 percent of net sales.

CNH Global, Racine, Wis., is proceeding with plans to move production of its New Holland Bidirectional tractor from its former Winnipeg, Canada, plant to the CNH facility in Fargo, N.D. The company expects to have models of the tractor available from Fargo in time for the 2001 fall selling season. The TV 140 Bidirectional tractor has been produced at the Winnipeg plant since 1998, when the plant was sold by CNH to Buhler Industries in August 2000 as one of the conditions for regulatory approval of the business merger between Case Corp. and New Holland.

AGRIS Corp., information provider of technology products and services to agribusinesses, announces intentions to formalize and expand a technology center at its headquarters in Roswell, Ga. The announcement reflects the company's commitment to helping regional agribusiness companies incorporate Internet-capable business management systems. As part of the announcement, AGRIS plans to add nearly 30 new positions in technology development, marketing and services.

The company also recently introduced its new AGRIS V9 for Windows, an integrated financial and operations management system available for agricultural companies.