When I wrote my editorial column for last month’s issue of Food Engineering, it was two weeks before our annual Food Automation & Manufacturing Conference. In that column, I stressed the ongoing importance of employee engagement and paying qualified plant floor workers a fair wage.
At the time I wrote the column, I had no idea employee engagement would be the major theme of the speakers’ presentations at our conference. In fact, nearly all the covered topics, from sustainability, automation and manufacturing excellence to food safety, sanitary design and maintenance, resonated with the theme that all workers need to feel appreciated and valued by their employers.