
In this interview with Kerwin Brown, Mike Cornelis of Bundy Baking Solutions reflects on his journey through the baking industry, from his beginnings in Illinois with a communications degree to an unexpected career in pan manufacturing and international sales.

IBIE 2025 exceeded expectations, drawing more than 19,000 industrial and retail baking professionals, spanning 96 countries, and featuring 1,005 exhibitors across a record-setting 451,000 square feet of exhibit space. Among them, more than 180 BEMA member exhibitors elevated their brand and visibility.

IBIE may happen every three years, but BEMA brings the industry together all year long. Renewing your membership ensures you stay connected to the people, ideas, and opportunities that move your business forward.

Building on a series of successful BEMA events -- Convention, NEXUS and IBIE to highlight a few -- where members were celebrated and the focus was on connections, BEMA’s Board of Directors is spending late October proactively planning for the next era of member resources, industry collaborations, and the advancement of impactful educational partnerships.

In this episode of On a Roll, Kerwin Brown sits down with Jorge Zarate, Senior Executive with Grupo Bimbo, for a fascinating conversation about his nearly four decades in the baking industry.

In this episode of On a Roll, Kerwin Brown interviews Marissa Sertich Velie, Executive Director of The Retail Bakers of America. In the conversation, they chat about her journey from childhood baker to baker to industry leader.

From the Caribbean to Japan, the baking industry is more connected than ever. BEMA is embracing this global reality by breaking language barriers, fostering international relationships, and ensuring bakers everywhere can share knowledge, innovation, and opportunity.

The Value Of Volunteering In the Baking Industry

Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the baking industry by streamlining production, enhancing efficiency, and reshaping workforce skills, as experts revealed during the “From Tasks to Transformation: AI Across the Product Spectrum” panel.

Efficiency and productivity improvements through standardized methods and real-time information are at the core of AI’s value in manufacturing.

