2025 Agenda
April 14, 2025
5:00 PM
Registration Open

April 14, 2025
6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Welcome Reception in Expo Hall
This opening night Welcome Reception is the perfect opportunity for all event participants to meet and greet one another in the expo hall! Pick up your name badge, grab a beverage and enjoy some casual face-to-face conversations.
April 15, 2025
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Breakfast

4/15/2025
8:30 AM - 8:40 AM
Opening Remarks
Publisher, FOOD ENGINEERING
4/15/2025
8:40 AM - 9:40 AM
Keynote Presentation Mass Customization Driving Innovation in the Food and Beverage Industry
CEO
Automation Alley

4/15/2025
9:40 AM - 10:25 AM
Stampede & the Sous Vide Revolution
President & CEO
Stampede Culinary Partners
4/15/2025
10:25 AM - 11:10 AM
Morning Refreshments & Networking Break

4/15/2025
10:40 AM - 11:10 AM
Solutions Theater Presentation Food Safe Facility Drainage Design
Vice President of Sales Engineering & Partner Management
Global Drain Technologies

4/15/2025
11:15 AM - 12:00 PM
Panel Spotlight on Women in the Food Engineering Industry
Head of Downstream Processing, Cellibre
Samara Heaggans
Director of Process Quality Engineering, Feastables
4/15/2025
12:00 - 12:45 PM

Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ 2024 Processor of the Year Award Presentation How Cafe Spice Uses Automation to Propel Private Label
Co-Founder and CEO, Cafe Spice
Virgilio Felix
COO, Cafe Spice
Giovanni Gomez
VP FSQA, Cafe Spice
Ryan Bakst
Director of Research & Development, Cafe Spice

4/15/2025
12:45 PM - 1:45 PM
Processor of the Year Luncheon
4/15/2025
1:45 PM - 4:00 PM
4/15/2025
4:00 PM - 5:45 PM
Networking Cocktail Reception
Join us for the outdoor networking reception for food, drinks and networking before heading out to dine in downtown Tampa.4/16/2025
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Breakfast
4/16/2025
8:30 AM - 8:40 AM
Opening Remarks
Publisher, FOOD ENGINEERING
4/16/2025
8:40 AM - 9:40 AM
Keynote Presentation Measuring & Defining Sustainability from a Packaging Perspective
Professor, Clemson University
4/16/2025
9:40 AM - 10:25 AM
Diving into Campbell’s $160M Goldfish Cracker Plant Expansion
Senior Director of Engineering Services and Project Execution, The Campbell's Company
Tony Hernandez
Director, Site Operations, The Campbell's Company
A.J. Heiner
VP of Manufacturing, The Campbell's Company
4/16/2025
10:25 AM - 11:10 AM
Morning Refreshments & Networking Break
4/16/2025
10:40 AM - 11:10 AM
Solutions Theater Presentation Seamless Multi-Plant Rollouts: Overcoming Challenges and Driving Measurable Improvements in Efficiency, Quality and Cost Whilst Ensuring Consistency, Scalability and Performance Across the Board
Managing Director
Cherry Bekaert

4/16/2025
11:15 AM - 12:00 PM

FOOD ENGINEERING’s 2025 Plant of the Year Award Presentation How Carolina Foods Uses Automation to Sweeten Baked Goods Production
Chief Executive Officer, Carolina Foods
Stuart Smith
Chief Operations Officer, Carolina Foods

4/16/2025
12:00 - 1:00 PM
Plant of the Year Luncheon

Diving into Campbell’s $160M Goldfish Cracker Plant Expansion
With the Goldfish cracker brand recently surpassing $1 billion in annual sales, The Campbell’s Company launched Project Finn, a $160 million initiative to add 100,000 sq. ft. to its Richmond, Utah bakery. Doubling production capacity, the project set new technology standards for existing and future lines. The company also sponsored an onsite flour mill to ensure ingredient freshness and reduce carbon emissions. Join us at FA&M to hear from Campbell’s experts how the facility produces up to 1,500 Goldfish crackers per minute, leveraging cutting-edge technology, embracing flexibility and fostering sustainability.
Speakers:
Jason Roethig
Senior Director of Engineering Services and Project Execution
The Campbell’s Company
Tony Hernandez
Director of Site Operations, Richmond
The Campbell’s Company
Tony Hernandez joined The Campbell’s Company in 2019 and was named Director of Site Operations in December 2024. Tony leads the company’s Snacks manufacturing operations in Richmond, Utah.
Previously, he was Senior Manager, Engineering, and Site Project Manager for a major plant expansion. He also served as a Regional Engineering Manager supporting several sites.
Before that, Tony spent 11 years at Nestlé USA overseeing engineering and maintenance functions and leading manufacturing operations in Salt Lake City and Springville, Utah. He also worked with Schreiber Foods as a Production Operator for nearly four years while attending Utah State University.
Tony earned his Bachelor of Science in Operations Management from Utah State University.
AJ Heiner
Vice President of Manufacturing
The Campbell’s Company
Food Safe Facility Drainage Design
Adopting food safety best practices is important in all aspects of food and beverage manufacturing, and achieving the highest level of evidence-based food safety is imperative. Properly designed and selected drainage is a critical component to food plant infrastructure and requires as much consideration as any other piece of equipment on the food and beverage production floor.
Are the drainage systems in food and beverage facilities effectively supporting their sanitary production processes? Have you ever questioned if there’s a more efficient way to clean and maintain the facility drains to ensure a pristine environment? We will share insights on:
- The history and fundamentals of food-safe drainage layouts and design
- Different types of floor drains and their essential specification criteria
- How to choose the right drainage features for the food and beverage facility
- Implementing effective cleaning protocols for maintaining a hygienic environment
Speaker
Viking Kristjansson
Vice President of Sales Engineering & Partner Management
Global Drain Technologies
Viking is a Vice President of Sales Engineering & Partner Management at Global Drain Technologies. He graduated with Honors from Red River College in the Civil Engineering C.E.T. program and has over 12 years of expertise in food-safe drainage design and engineering.
Seamless Multi-Plant Rollouts: Overcoming Challenges and Driving Measurable Improvements in Efficiency, Quality and Cost Whilst Ensuring Consistency, Scalability and Performance Across the Board
Manufacturers with multiple plant locations often struggle to maintain consistency, quality, and operational efficiency. In this session, we’ll showcase best practices and a real-world case study for executing successful multi-plant rollouts. Learn how to integrate key systems—ERP, quality control, graphical scheduling, and inventory management—across facilities to streamline operations and boost productivity.
Key Takeaways:
- ERP Integration: Synchronize procurement, production, and distribution across plants for smoother operations.
- Quality Control & Assurance: Establish integrated systems to maintain product consistency and compliance at scale.
- Graphical Scheduling: Optimize production scheduling to reduce downtime and improve resource utilization.
- Intelligent Inventory Management: Ensure materials are available when needed, avoiding shortages and overstocking.
- API Connectivity: Implement seamless communication between plant systems and corporate infrastructure, enabling real-time data flow.
Speaker
Grayson Hoberg
Managing Director
Cherry Bekaert
Grayson Hoberg is a Managing Director at Cherry Bekaert, bringing a unique blend of strategic finance, operational expertise, and creative vision to his role. He holds a Master’s degree in Finance and Management Information Systems, and completed undergraduate studies in Accounting and Music.
Grayson’s career spans leadership roles including CFO at EarthLink, where he helped drive revenue from $96 million to over $1 billion in just 26 months. With experience leading more than 200 M&A deals and building and managing multiple food manufacturing plants, he combines financial acumen with hands-on operational leadership.
Outside of work, Grayson’s diverse interests reflect his dynamic background. He grew up on a ranch in North Dakota, wrote and performed in an opera, and is a National Heavyweight gold medalist in Tae Kwon Do.
Spotlight on Women in the Food Engineering Industry
This panel discussion will feature women engineers doing important work in the food and beverage industry, specifically highlighting the speakers’ background and experience, recent projects, their thoughts on diversity in the engineering space, and what they would like to see in the future.
Speakers
Shalima Sreenath
Head of Downstream Processing
Cellibre
Shalima Sreenath is a chemical engineer with over a decade of experience in the food and biotechnology industries. Currently head of downstream processing at Cellibre, she leads the isolation and purification of novel small molecules produced through fermentation, driving innovations from lab scale to commercialization. Shalima began her career as a process engineer at Kerry, supporting manufacturing plants globally through diverse process and project engineering roles, and had an impactful tenure at Beyond Meat, where she focused on new product introductions, capital expansions and scaling transformative alternative meat technologies. She holds a master's degree in chemical engineering from Cornell University and is a fellow of the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST).
Samara Heaggans
Director of Process Quality Engineering
Feastables
With over 28 years of experience in the Food & Beverage industry, Samara Heaggans is a seasoned professional and innovator in process engineering and product development. Currently, she serves as the Director of Process Quality Engineering at Feastables and is the founder and owner of SH Reid Consulting Solutions, a firm specializing in Food & Beverage consulting.
Samara’s career includes significant roles at leading Food and Beverage manufacturers. She was the Corporate Director of Process and Product Development (R&D) and later Director of Plant Engineering at Do Good Foods in Pennsylvania. Prior to that, Samara spent nearly 18 years at Campbell Soup Company in New Jersey, culminating in her role as Director of Commercialization for the C-Fresh Division. She also worked at Frito-Lay in Dallas, Texas for over five years.
Throughout her career, Samara has been instrumental in the development of new products and processes. At Campbell Soup, she held various R&D roles, launching more than 30 successful products. At Frito-Lay, she developed the process for Tostitos Scoops, for which she holds a patent.
Her expertise spans across Process R&D, scale-up, commercialization, and innovation, and she continues to drive growth and quality within the Food & Beverage industry.
Stampede & the Sous Vide Revolution
Stampede Culinary Partners manufactures both ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook poultry, pork, and beef products with further processing capabilities that go beyond slicing and dicing to sous vide cooking, natural smoking, 360-degree searing and include products such as prepared meals, gourmet sous vide pet food and alternative proteins for leading restaurants, retailers, food service distributors, airlines, convenience stores, military channels and home delivery customers.
The Illinois-based company turns 30 this year and recently released a first-of-its-kind industry study on sous vide. The findings from both qualitative and quantitative research underscores the value of commercial sous vide as a product that guarantees quality and safety across these food service sectors, while also aiding in the struggle against the national labor and skills shortage.
With over 500,000 square feet of manufacturing space, Stampede Culinary Partners is the largest has the largest network of sous vide production solutions in North America. Brock Furlong, president and CEO of Stampede, will share more on the research and how the company plans to meet growing demand from multiple channels.
Speaker
Keynote Presentation
Mass Customization driving Innovation in the Food and Beverage Industry
The food and beverage industry is at the nexus of transformative global manufacturing trends, driving a shift toward personalized, customer-centric solutions. At the heart of this evolution is mass customization—a model that redefines production to deliver personalized products at scale. From customized snack blends to individualized beverage formulations, rapid delivery systems powered by AI and advanced manufacturing technologies are reshaping consumer expectations. Learn to navigate this new reality with case studies and examples from the manufacturing industry in digital transformation.
Keynote Presenter
Tom Kelly
CEO
Automation Alley
Tom Kelly is a globally recognized expert on Industry 4.0 and its impact on business. As executive director and CEO of Automation Alley, a Michigan-based nonprofit Industry 4.0 knowledge center with a global outlook and a regional focus, Tom is often tapped to share his visionary leadership and expertise around digital transformation.
As executive director and CEO, Tom has been instrumental to the success of Automation Alley’s Industry 4.0 initiatives, designed to help businesses jumpstart or accelerate a digital path to strategic success, including Integr8, the global Industry 4.0 conference; the 3D printing network Project DIAMOnD; and the formation of the World Economic Forum’s U.S. Centre for Advanced Manufacturing.
Tom serves on the World Economic Forum’s Global Futures Council for Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chains, is a member of the Additive Manufacturing Coalition Steering Committee, and is a board member of the Fraunhofer Technology Advisory Board, Global Future Council on Advanced Manufacturing and Value Chains and Michigan Manufacturing Technology Center Board.
Keynote Presentation
Measuring & Defining Sustainability from a Packaging Perspective
Packaging is a common denominator when it comes to tackling food waste and sustainability for all CPGs but especially in food and beverage manufacturing. From life cycle analysis (LCA) to AI, Professor Andrew Hurley will deliver a keynote that looks at F&B issues through the lens of packaging.
Keynote Presenter
Dr. Andrew Hurley
Professor
Clemson University
Dr. Andrew Hurley spends so much time thinking about packaging that his grocery trips double as field research. Now measured in decades, his industry experience covers businesses of all sizes, from startups to global corporations, often transforming packaging challenges into innovative and eco-friendly solutions. Renowned for his expertise, Dr. Hurley is a trusted advisor for companies seeking to weigh tradeoffs and make their mark with impactful designs. As a dedicated Professor at Clemson University, Dr. Hurley bridges the gap between academic research and practical application. He is also the Founder of PackagingSchool.com, offering over 8,000 concise, tailored learning modules, and delivers hands-on workshops—all designed to equip professionals with the skills and strategies needed to create sustainable, high-performing packaging. Dr. Hurley’s engaging presentations at conference events worldwide, and even a TEDx talk, inspire audiences to rethink their design approach and embrace innovation. He provides tailored advisory services, assisting organizations in integrating sustainable practices. Passionate about sustainable design, Dr. Hurley simplifies complex concepts and makes them relatable, solidifying his position as a leading voice in the packaging industry. Through his speaking, teaching, and consulting, he helps businesses create a more sustainable future.
Refrigerated & Frozen Foods’ 2024 Processor of the Year Award Presentation
How Cafe Spice Uses Automation to Propel Private Label
Learn about Cafe Spice’s new, state-of-the-art, highly automated manufacturing facility in Beacon, New York. Named Refrigerated & Frozen Foods 2024 Processor of the Year, this family-owned food manufacturer is a private-label powerhouse, supplying Indian, Asian and other cuisines for hot bars and foodservice operations nationwide, including Whole Foods and Kroger. With a presence in all 50 states, Cafe Spice also has a branded line of RTE meals, found in the refrigerated/deli/grab and go depts. The Cafe Spice team will share their story of transitioning from a smaller, more manual legacy manufacturing site to a new facility that features the latest in automation and robotics. More information can be found in R&FF’s November cover story.
Presenters:
Sameer Malhotra
Co-Founder and CEO
Cafe Spice
Under his leadership, the company has experienced rapid growth and now distributes its products to grocery stores and specialty food retailers across the country. Sameer is widely respected in the food industry for his innovative approach, unwavering commitment to quality, and ability to spot emerging culinary trends.
Virgilio Felix
VP FSQA
Cafe Spice
Giovanni Gomez
VP FSQA
Cafe Spice
Giovanni Gomez is a seasoned food industry executive with 20 years of experience driving innovation, quality, and sustainability in manufacturing. As VP of Food Safety and Quality Assurance at Cafe Spice, he ensures the highest standards of food safety, product integrity, and operational excellence.
Giovanni's expertise spans every stage of the food journey, from sourcing raw ingredients and optimizing supply chain operations to developing and commercializing high-quality, globally inspired products. He has a deep background in food production and global supply chains. Giovanni has led key initiatives to expand retail distribution, enhance shelf life through innovative packaging, and streamline production efficiencies. A certified HACCP Manager, PCQI, and Cornell Project Management alumnus, Gomez blends technical expertise with strategic leadership to drive continuous improvement and innovation. He is known for building high-performing teams and driving strategic partnerships that fuel growth and industry leadership. Through his speaking, teaching, and consulting, he helps businesses create a more sustainable future.Ryan Bakst
Director of Research & Development
Cafe Spice
Ryan Bakst is a seasoned culinary and product development executive with a diverse career spanning over two decades in the food industry. His background includes running restaurant kitchens, deli and catering operations, and leading large-scale culinary programs – all of which have contributed to his reputation for operational excellence and culinary creativity.
As Director of Research and Development at Cafe Spice, Ryan drives innovation across multiple product categories and cuisine types. Leveraging state-of-the-art equipment, he specializes in scaling high-quality, chef-driven products that deliver unparalleled efficiency and consistency throughout the production process.
Known for bridging culinary artistry with commercial execution, Ryan excels in bringing cutting-edge food concepts to market, optimizing processes, and delivering products that meet the evolving needs of consumers and industry partners.FOOD ENGINEERING’s 2025 Plant of the Year Award Presentation
How Carolina Foods Uses Automation to Sweeten Baked Goods Production
Learn about Carolina Foods’ new, state-of-the-art headquarters and production facility in Pineville, N.C., named FOOD ENGINEERING’s 2025 Plant of the Year. The new facility adds 425,000 sq. ft. to Carolina Foods’ previously existing 100,000 sq. ft. of operations creating baked goods such as Duchess Honey Buns, donuts, pastries and pies. The project team’s use of a linear setup, high levels of automation and new production equipment technology have boosted the company’s ability to serve its customers in all 50 states. More information will be available in FE’s April cover story.
Presenters:
Dan Myers
Chief Executive Officer
Carolina Foods
Stuart Smith
Chief Operations Officer
Carolina Foods