Bakery Equipment Manufacturers and Allieds (BEMA) names The Peerless Group’s Matt Zielsdorf as the new chairman of its association.


Matt Zielsdorf, vice president of sales for The Peerless Group, Sidney, Ohio, a division of the ITW Food Equipment Group, was elected chairman of the Bakery Equipment Manufacturers and Allieds (BEMA) association at its annual meeting, June 23-28 in Santa Barbara, Calif. Zielsdorf will be responsible for helping guide BEMA in its vision of being the premier resource in providing interactions, innovation and information for its members and the baking industry.

“I feel the single biggest asset of being a BEMA member is the networking opportunities,” says Zielsdorf. “As we continue to grow, our meetings offer our customers the platform to discuss critical industry topics with the equipment suppliers that keep their bakeries running. BEMA has been drawing bakers from around the world. Our most recent meeting hosted 12 customers from different sectors of the industry…my role as chairman will be to champion those to continue to grow BEMA.”

Founded in 1918, BEMA, based in Overland Park, Kan., is an international, non-profit trade association representing leading bakery and food equipment manufacturers and suppliers, whose combined efforts in research and development lead to continual improvements in the baking and food industries. Currently, there are more than 200 members.

Zielsdorf has been a member of BEMA since 1999 and was elected to the board in 2003 and joined the executive board in 2008. As a board member, he has chaired conventions and programs, international, trade relations and market research committees.