Alyse Thompson-Richards

Rebecca Brady, CEO of Top Seedz, and her husband Will Brady, COO, are expanding and automating operations, recently commissioning a second manufacturing line. This has doubled production capacity, putting Top Seedz on track to reach $100 million in annual sales.

EIC Alyse Thompson-Richards reports on recent food and beverage industry developments, including new plants from Bauducco and Gelatys, expansions from Killer Brownie and DG Foods, and Good Culture’s partnership with a Michigan dairy co-op.

EIC Alyse Thompson-Richards recaps some recent plant openings and expansions in the food and beverage industry.

It's essential to remember that the primary goal of food manufacturers is to provide products for consumers. Understanding consumer demand, trends, and behaviors is key, as these factors greatly impact product and process design.

Food manufacturers face stricter demands as recalls and outbreaks push a more reactive focus on food safety. Responsibility is shifting from quality teams to shared ownership, using cross-functional approaches to improve safety, compliance, and daily practices.

Food safety underpins every aspect of food manufacturing, yet new CRB research shows cost and competing priorities continue to hinder improvements. This month's From the Editor explores why investing in hygienic design and facility planning remains essential.

EIC Alyse Thompson-Richards highlights recent food and beverage industry developments, including Ferrara’s South Carolina plant, Ferrero’s line installation, Conagra Brands’ expansion in Arkansas, Walmart’s new milk processing facility, Kraft Heinz’s investment in Canada, and Swaggerty Farms’ expansion.

Dharma Prime and Halak Mehta are inspiring examples of women thriving in STEM careers, particularly in engineering and food science. As they share their experiences and insights, they highlight the importance of diversity and support in these traditionally male-dominated fields.

The organizations, which have long published parallel industry reports, have joined forces to offer food manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) an overview of market performance and a glimpse at what to expect going forward.

In our annual Women in Engineering feature, we highlight inspiring stories of women like Halak Mehta and Dharma Prime. Despite progress, the pay gap persists, underscoring the need for ongoing efforts toward equality.