industry

On Thursday, June 23, BEMA elected new members and renewed terms for current representatives on the Executive Committee and Board of Directors. Many thanks and much appreciation were also offered to Board members Mike Day, Banner Day; Dennis Gunnell, Formost Fuji Corporation; and Kurt Miller, J&K Ingredients that had completed their terms of service. Stay tuned to learn more about these impactful BEMA leaders and the legacy they have left in the baking industry.

If you’re still finding plenty of stories to tell about Convention 2022, you’re not alone. The beautiful and historic Hotel Del Coronado did not disappoint and neither did this year’s line-up. This was BEMA’s biggest convention to date, and it was incredible to have so many of you in-person this year.

There are few in the industry not wondering about what the future might hold. With a perspective looking forward, industry leaders Kerwin Brown, President and CEO of BEMA; Cordia Harrington, CEO of Crown Bakeries and ABA Chair; and Tim Cook, President and CEO of Linxis Group, 2021-2022 BEMA Board Chairman shared their thoughts and insights.

Convention 2022 attendees were the first to learn about BEMA’s newest meeting offering – NEXUS. The new event will take place September 25-28, 2023, at the Dallas Omni Convention Center.

On Friday, June 24, Convention 2022 brought together a panel of bakers to share their perspectives. The discussion included what’s keeping them up at night, silver linings coming out of the last two years, evolutions in company culture, expectations for IBIE and a look at future projections.

On Workforce Wednesday and at Convention 2022, a panel of HR professionals took a deeper dive into current recruitment and retention processes.

The BEMA Intel Industry Summary report presents topline trends for key U.S. economic and commercial baking industry indicators. Updated quarterly, BEMA Intel provides a high-level view of the state of commercial baking and equipment manufacturing industries to aid in planning and critical decision making.

On Thursday, June 23, Stephanie Stuckey, CEO of Stuckey’s, shared the motivational story of the bumpy path to regaining her grandfather’s business as a third-generation family owner. The road trip to revitalize a forgotten brand against the odds was an inspirational story many could relate to coming out of the last two years.

Get ready for BEMA Convention 2022! We are excited to have Stephanie Stuckey as our Keynote Speaker this year. We believe we’ve found that in this year’s keynote speaker, Stephanie Stuckey, CEO of Stuckey’s. Stephanie’s story of personal reinvention and the revival of a business is a theme many of us can relate to.

Labor has always been a concern in the industry, and it will certainly be a hot topic at IBIE. While there’s been a lot of buzz about The Great Resignation, which centered around individuals primarily in the hospitality and service industries, the Great Reshuffle is revealing even bigger changes ahead.