14 Jul Convention 2025 Reflection: Ask-A-Baker

The Ask-A-Baker panel was once again one of the most popular events at Convention. The panel of five bakers, three of whom were attending BEMA Convention for the first time, answered questions from both Kerwin and the audience. Their answers were insightful and shed light on some important issues within the baking industry.

The stellar group of panelists were Eugenio Alvarez, vice president global engineering and maintenance for Grupo Bimbo; Jeff Miller, vice president of engineering services for Aspire Bakeries; Josh Bickford, president of Clyde’s Donuts; George Martin, senior vice president supply chain for Flowers Foods; and Chimene Ross, CEO of The Killer Brownie Company.

IBIE

Panelists were asked what one piece of advice they would give others about attending IBIE. Answers ranged from Alvarez encouraging everyone to ask, “What’s new?” when they visit a booth to Ross encouraging those who have booths to make sure the staff in the booth are attentive to the people on the show floor. Martin said when he is at the show, he will be focused on consumer trends and learning how AI will impact manufacturing.

The audience also asked the baker panelists what they would be looking for at IBIE to address current production challenges. Several panelists talked about looking for equipment that is easy for their employees to understand and operate.

“I had a conversation with an equipment OEM a few years ago, and they made a comment that we were working through a problem, and they said, “Well, maybe you just need better operators,” Miller said. “Like, okay you know that there may be some truth to that, but we also need to accept that we’re not going to have maintenance technicians and engineers running our lines. So how do we design our equipment, so that it’s easy to set up, easy to maintain, and easy to clean and sanitize?”

Family business

Many baking companies were founded as family businesses, and it can be difficult to walk the tightrope of maintaining the family traditions while incorporating new innovations. Panelists were asked how they address that tension.

The panelists agreed that holding on to the key values and principles that made their companies successful is important, even as you try new things.

“ I think the most important thing is honoring what came before and honoring not only the history but those key elements that built the business,” Ross said. “So, if you’re building a business around people first, that doesn’t change. The product may change, but if your commitment to a certain type of product or your commitment to quality is what built you to where you are now, that doesn’t change. That’s going to end up still being an important key value and foundation for the future as well.”

Tariffs

The ever-changing tariff structure was on the minds of attendees, and bakers addressed the question of how tariffs were impacting their buying decisions.

The panelists were in agreement that while the tariff structure is a concern, it isn’t stopping them from making investments.

“For our experiences, it’s real,” Bickford said. “It has an impact. It comes up in conversation. You may be running forward on a plan, and it causes you to pause. Now, it doesn’t mean you’re going to necessarily change strategies. Perhaps you change timing, but the uncertainty is really the only sticking point that causes a pause now.”

Consumer trends

In an industry undergoing a shift in consumer behavior and government regulations, latching on to the consumer trends is important for the future of the baking industry. The panel shared their thoughts on consumer trends and how suppliers can help bakers meet consumers’ needs.

The panelists’ consensus was that consumers are looking for healthier ingredients, but they are still driven by taste.

“I actually think there have been a lot more suppliers that have been providing ingredients and alternatives that are a little bit more aligned with what consumers are asking for,” Ross said. “But we don’t have to give up taste. There’s so much emotion attached to food, and we don’t want to lose that. I think, thankfully, there’s a lot more happening on the ingredient front that’s giving us more options especially in our space to be able to follow along with those trends but not jump so far away that everything is boring.”

In addition, panelists said bakers have to be proactive about promoting the health benefits of bread to counteract some of the negative social media attention given to carb-heavy foods.

The panelists also touched on the topics of workforce challenges, OEM training programs, and structured baker training programs.