2022 Agenda
Sunday, September 11, 2022
12:30 PM
Golden Palm Golf Course
Golden Palm Golf Course
Golf
3:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Registration Open
7:00 PM – 8:30 PM
Welcome Reception
Monday, September 12, 2022
7:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Registration Open
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM
Continental Breakfast
8:00AM - 8:30 AM
Opening Remarks
Mark Tisdale, Publisher, Food Engineering
Michael Costa, Editor-in-Chief and Program Director, Food Engineering
8:30 AM - 9:15 AM
Automation KeynoteHow Tyson Uses Automation to Transform its Case-Ready Meat Operations
Brady Welu, Senior Managing Engineer, Fresh Meats Engineering, Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods built its new $300 million, 600, 000-square-foot case-ready meats plant in Eagle Mountain, Utah, with an eye firmly on the future. The greenfield project gave Tyson a blank slate for incorporating automation in every area of the facility for maximum efficiency, speed, productivity, labor savings and staff safety. Tyson’s Brady Welu explores how automation has transformed today’s case-ready operations and the lessons learned along the way.
Sponsored by
9:15 AM – 10:00 AM
Keeping Kirkland Brands At Peak Performance
Craig Wilson, VP of Quality Assurance & Food Safety, Costco Wholesale
Craig Wilson, Costco’s VP of quality assurance and food safety, presents a dynamic review of the rigorous process in place for co-manufacturers to create food products for Costco’s retail inventory. Wilson will review food safety and supply chain management best practices in a season of rising prices through the QA/QC procedures that help ensure Costco’s Kirkland brand continues its stellar growth for the company.
10:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Morning Refreshments and Networking Break
10:30 AM – 11:15 AM
Panel DiscussionBuilding Flexibility into Your Supply Chain
Theresa Motter, CEO, Van’s Kitchen
Kevin Hack, Global VP, Food Ingredients, Univar Solutions
Additional panelists being finalized. Updates to come!
Recent supply chain struggles have put the spotlight not just on the distribution of goods, but on availability of ingredients, materials, and supplies to manufacture food. In this session, we’ll hear from industry pros about how to build flexibility into your supply chain at every level, including the importance of adjusting SKUs based on available inventory.
11:15 AM – 12:00 PM
Panel Discussion Industry 4.0 for Food Facilities
Anthony Doss, Vice President of Engineering - Poultry, Tyson Foods
Additional panelists being finalized. Updates to come!
Additional panelists being finalized. Updates to come!
As food facilities become more focused on technology to increase efficiencies and reduce costs, how can processors best utilize these available tools to maximize results? We’ll detail what types of tech are crucial for today’s processing plants and what the future might look like after Industry 4.0.
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Luncheon
12:00 PM – 5:30 PM
Expo
2:15 PM – 2:45 PM
Expo Refreshment Break
3:30 PM - 4:00 PM
Solutions Theater Track A:
New Conveyor Drive System
Alex Kanaris, President, Van der Graaf
Sponsored by
Solutions Theater Track B:
Technology at Human Scale-Fostering Equity in Decision-Making
Everactive
Sponsored by
4:05 PM - 4:35 PM
Solutions Theater Track A:
Proaction International
Sponsored by
Solutions Theater Track B:
4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
Expo Cocktail Reception
5:15 PM
Expo Game Drawing
6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Join us for a Barbeque on the Royal Palm Pool Deck
Drink Station Sponsored by
Catch of the Day Sponsored by
Catch of the Day Sponsored by
Tuesday, September 13, 2022
8:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Registration Open
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM
Continental Breakfast
Sponsored by
9:00 AM - 9:45 AM
Engineering KeynoteInside Kerry’s Expanded Coatings and Breadcrumbs Plant
Aleisha Jaeger, North American Director of Project Engineering, Kerry Group
Christina O’Keefe, Editor, Director of Sustainability, Kerry Group
Kerry’s recent $135 million expansion of its Rome, Georgia, facility gave the company a chance to address soaring market demand for coatings and breadcrumbs while implementing several engineering and technological innovations to boost productivity, cost savings, sustainability, and efficiencies throughout. Kerry’s Aleisha Jaeger and Christina O’Keefe detail the impact engineering has had on this project, adding 30% more production capacity.
9:45 AM – 10:15 AM
Morning Refreshments and Networking Break
10:15 AM - 10:45 AM
Solutions Theater Track A:
Coperion
Sponsored by
Solutions Theater Track B:
Enchanted Rock
Sponsored by
10:50 AM - 11:20 AM
Solutions Theater Track A:
SEW EURODRIVE
Sponsored by
Solutions Theater Track B:
Kerr Consulting
Sponsored by
11:25 AM – 12:10 PM
FOOD ENGINEERING’s 2022 Plant of the Year Award Presentation
12:10 PM – 1:30 PM
Plant of the Year Luncheon
1:30 PM - 2:15 PM
PepsiCo’s Water Sustainability Strategies for Food Processing
Austin Kozman, Senior Director, Foods Core Processing Technology, PepsiCo
We explore how PepsiCo is utilizing the latest technology and innovation in water sustainability initiatives for the company’s food processing operations, and how those efforts fit into PepsiCo’s overall pep+ (PepsiCo Positive) corporate transformation impacting the environment worldwide.
2:15 PM - 3:00 PM
Panel Discussion Strategies to Maximize OEE
Robert Garcia, VP of Manufacturing, Palermo’s Pizza
Additional panelists being finalized. Updates to come!
Additional panelists being finalized. Updates to come!
Is your food processing equipment giving your operation the most value when it comes to speed, productivity and reduced downtime during production? In this session, find out how to maximize your OEE (Operational Equipment Effectiveness) and troubleshoot where improvements can be made to increase efficiencies and the bottom line.
3:00 PM - 3:30 PM
Afternoon Refreshment and Networking Break
3:30 PM - 4:15 PM
Panel Discussion Operating Strategies from Outside the Food Manufacturing Industry
Christie Lagally, Founder & CEO, Rebellyous Foods
Daniel Stauft, Director, Operational Technology, SugarCreek
Additional panelists being finalized. Updates to come!
Game-changing business ideas often come from outside the industry, and food processing is no exception. In this session, we’ll hear from those who joined the food industry directly from other professions, like aerospace and automotive, and how innovative ideas from those fields have shaped the way they approach food processing and positively impacted their operations.
4:15 PM – 5:15 PM
Reception/Scotch Tasting
Sponsored by
Wednesday, September 14, 2022
7:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Registration Open
7:30 AM - 8:30 AM
Continental Breakfast
8:00 AM - 8:45 AM
Women in Food Manufacturing Keynote Address
Theresa Motter, CEO, Van’s Kitchen
If you’ve shopped for eggrolls at any supermarket or convenience store, chances are Van’s Kitchen was among your choices. The Dallas-based brand produces several million eggrolls each year, and is currently in 10, 000+ retail outlets nationwide, with annual revenues of $45 million. Theresa Motter is Van’s CEO (Chief Executive Officer/Chief Eggroll Officer) and is the driving force behind this rapidly growing company. Hear from Motter about the company’s roots—started by her Vietnamese-immigrant parents in 1986—and what it takes to stay successful in this competitive industry. Van’s Kitchen was Refrigerated & Frozen Foods (Food Engineering’s sister publication) 2022 Refrigerated Foods Processor of the Year.
8:45 AM – 9:30 PM
RoundtableWomen in Food Manufacturing
Theresa Motter, CEO, Van’s Kitchen
Ayeshah Abuelhiga, Founder & CEO, Mason Dixie Foods
Christie Lagally, Founder & CEO, Rebellyous Foods
Additional panelists being finalized. Updates to come!
What topics impact women in food manufacturing today, and is the processing industry evolving to accommodate more women-led companies? Our panel of experts explore the pros and cons of operating their brands, and how they’ve been able to grow quickly by finding their niche in a competitive marketplace.
9:30 AM – 10:15 AM
Panel DiscussionWhat’s Next for Alternative Proteins
Christie Lagally, Founder & CEO, Rebellyous Foods
Additional panelists being finalized. Updates to come!
Additional panelists being finalized. Updates to come!
Alternative proteins—like plant-based meats—are firmly established in consumer minds and are ubiquitous in grocery stores and foodservice. What were once startups are now brand names vying for shelf space in an increasingly crowded category. Find out what’s next for alternative protein processors and how cell-cultured meats and alternative dairy fit into the future definition of this fast-evolving segment.
10:15 AM – 11:00 AM
Panel DiscussionPilot Plant Strategies for Startups
Samara Heaggans, Corporate Director, Process & Product Development, Do Good Foods
Ayeshah Abuelhiga, Founder & CEO, Mason Dixie Foods
Additional panelists being finalized. Updates to come!
Every food processor starts somewhere, and usually it’s through a pilot plant where small batches of product are produced and then introduced to the market. We offer tips for burgeoning companies looking to build their first pilot plants and what essential items are necessary to begin production and distribution. We’ll also look at strategies for scaling up once a brand has outgrown its pilot plant.
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
