OVERLAND PARK, KS - The BEMA Annual Meeting features three panels of leading bakers from various areas of the industry.  The bakers will share their insight in educational and question and answer sessions.   The program includes speakers from  ARYZTA, NA; Turano Baking Company, Amoroso Baking, Baptista’s Bakery, Flowers, and Pepperidge Farm, among others.  

At Annual Meeting, BEMA will present two hosted Q&A sessions:  Family-Owned Bakeries: Niche and New Markets, and Sweets, Snacks & Co-Pack.  Members of the Family-Owned Bakery Panel include Joe Turano, President of Turano Baking Co.; John Anthony Orlando, Vice President of Operations at Orlando Baking Company; Lenny Amoroso, President & CEO of Amoroso Baking Company, and Michael Morabito III, President of Morabito Baking Co. 

Our second panel, Sweets, Snacks & Co-Pack includes Dave Watson,  Vice President Engineering – International Filling & Packaging; Bakery Technology at Pepperidge Farm; Tom Howe, President of Baptista's Bakery; Doug Davidson, President & CEO of Hill & Valley, and John Macy, President of John Wm. Macy CheeseSticks.

The Baking Industry Forum (BIF) works throughout the year on important topics for bakers and their suppliers.  At BEMA’s meetings they deliver timely, valuable insight on key industry issues.  At the 2014 Annual Meeting they will address three items:

·         Safety Checklist - BIF has compiled a safety checklist as suggested by BEMA members.

·         Alphabet Soup - What are all of the industry certification acronyms, who owns them and which are audited?

·         Project Life Cycle - Recommended timelines from planning to start up and beyond.

Current BIF bakery members scheduled to attend include Robert Benton (Flowers Foods), Jeff Dearduff (ARYZTA, NA), Dave Hipenbecker (The Kroger Company),Pat Wilkens (Schwebel’s Bakery),and Jeffrey Teasdale (Pepperidge Farm, Inc.).

In addition to the panels, BEMA will also host Butch Hendrickson, CEO of Continental Baking Company in Jamaica.  The Hendrickson family also owns several resorts in Jamaica and businesses other than the bakery.  He will provide a unique perspective on business in the Caribbean. 

BEMA’s 2014 Annual Meeting – themed “Dive In” -- will be held June 19-24 at the Fairmont Southampton resort in Bermuda.   The meeting is the perfect blend of business, family and fun.  It brings together bakers, equipment suppliers, service providers, and ingredient suppliers.  The family-friendly events are designed to help industry leaders connect in a relaxed setting.  Attendees can learn more and register at www.bema.org .