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Automation

Podcast

How to Select Automation Technologies for Food Manufacturing

By Alyse Thompson-Richards, Editor in Chief
Data collection in food manufacturing
Getty Images
Photo courtesy: Getty Images / yoh4nn
March 20, 2026
Carrie Woehler and-Kim Lovan side-by-side headshots

Carrie Woehler (left) and Kim Lovan (right) Images courtesy of Black & Veatch

With endless automation solutions on the market, it can be difficult to select the right option for your food and beverage manufacturing operation.

Kim Lovan, associate vice president, food, beverage and agribusiness, and Carrie Woehler, solutions lead, industrial and manufacturing for Black & Veatch offer important considerations for vetting equipment, including food safety, training support and collaborative problem-solving.

Additionally, Lovan and Woehler discuss how automation projects have changed, moving from simple labor replacement to complex digital systems. They also touch on the future of automation projects, which they hope evolves from requiring a specialized, “boutique” approach to a routine part of a manufacturer's strategic planning and capital expenditure.

Check Out the Podcast:

FOOD ENGINEERING Podcast logo

Tips for Vetting Food Manufacturing Automation Solutions

Kim Lovan, associate vice president, food, beverage and agribusiness, and Carrie Woehler, solutions lead, industrial and manufacturing for Black & Veatch, discuss how food and beverage manufacturers are implementing automation, considerations for vetting solution providers, and how automation projects have evolved.


KEYWORDS: automation technology design/build equipment plant design

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Alyse thompson richards
Alyse Thompson-Richards has held many positions with BNP Media, first serving as an intern at Candy Industry in summer 2012. She joined Candy Industry's staff full time as associate editor in August 2016 after a few years at newspapers in West-Central Illinois. Alyse has since served on Cannabis Products Insider and joined FOOD ENGINEERING in 2024. She has bachelor’s degrees in journalism and Spanish from Western Illinois University. Image courtesy of Thompson-Richards

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