We all have those days when a bunch of little stuff is getting under our skin. But then we have those other days, where we don't joke or complain about having "one of those days" because something has gone seriously wrong.

In last year’s February issue, I wrote about how I was trying to overcome the depressing sight of snow and ice on the ground by thinking ahead to April and our annual Food Automation & Manufacturing Conference in Miami. The more things change …

After the mad dash to end one year, January seems like a chance to get your feet back under you as you start the next.

Whether it’s water efficiency, packaging, food safety, material flow or anything else you can think of, there is always a point in the process that creates challenges, and that point is usually a headache for processors of any size.

It’s fair to say that the easy part is over, or at least mostly over. But sustainability isn’t going away because corporate sustainability goals, cost pressures and demands for details about sustainable production and ingredients from consumers are all here to stay.

Both throughput and budgets are generally increasing, which means the industry is growing and companies are investing in hardware and software to help manage that growth.

The one thing that all of the largest food and beverage companies have in common is that they’ve built an infrastructure that allows them to face challenges to existing businesses while still finding ways to grow.

The small stuff falling through the cracks is often an indicator of larger issues within an organization, and paying close attention to the details can often help head off those larger issues.

From the first session on Monday morning to the final session on Wednesday, FA&M featured speakers who were engaging, insightful and gave attendees a lot to think about.

What I like about the Construction Survey is that it gives us some insights that we don't get to see too much in the rest of our reporting throughout the year.