Bakers at BEMA ’25 share perspectives on industry’s future

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Bakers at BEMA ’25 share perspectives on industry’s future

2 Jul 2025

Maddie Lambert

Maddie Lambert is a copywriter and editor from Joplin, MO. She graduated from Missouri Southern State University with a Bachelor of Arts in English – literary studies. When she’s not poring over the magazine or lost in the pages of a new novel, you can find Maddie exploring her local bookstores, spending time with her husband, or sharing her latest literary discoveries with fellow book enthusiasts.

COCO BEACH, PUERTO RICO — When industry members gathered in Coco Beach, Puerto Rico, last week for the 2025 BEMA Convention, attendees had the opportunity to ask a panel of bakers about a plethora of topics, from adapting to economic uncertainty and tariffs to the importance of product development and evolving consumer trends.

The underlying theme? The future of the industry.

The “Ask-a-Baker Networking Luncheon,” sponsored by Reiser, included Eugenio Alvarez, VP of global engineering and maintenance at Grupo Bimbo; Jeff Miller, VP of engineering services for Aspire Bakeries; Josh Bickford, president of Clyde’s Donuts; George Martin, senior VP of supply chain at Flowers Foods; and Chimene Ross, CEO of The Killer Brownie Co.

Innovating while honoring

The colloquial expression, “What’s new?” can sum up consumer interest in two little words. Consumers crave innovation, whether it be in the form of limited-time offerings (LTOs) or funky-flavored permanent additions.

For all panel members, striking a balance between innovation and respect for their company’s origins is not a task to be taken lightly. While the flagship brands’ reputations spur consumer loyalty, fresh options create something new yet familiar for shoppers to spend their money on.

“The most important thing is honoring what came before and the key elements that built the business, making sure that doesn’t change,” Ross said. “The product may change, but monitoring familial history is important for the foundation of the future.”

“We may be pausing and reaffirming this is the way we want to go, but the level of investment and bullishness there isn’t changing.” — Jeff Miller | VP of engineering services | Aspire Bakeries

The baking aisle has seen its fair share of modernization, but today’s consumers still rely on classics to be permanent additions on the shelf. The professionals behind the products use that to fuel production.

“The heritage, the history, the legacy from our founders is really important,” Alvarez said. “The more we continue evolving and growing as a company, we want to keep the core and the culture as a basic goal. Respecting those values is the guiding principle for everything we do.”

Decision-making amid strife

Economic turbulence and threats of tariffs have cast a shadow of uncertainty over the industry, causing some decision-makers to hesitate before making additional investments.

But, according to Alvarez, the challenges prompt baking companies to focus on local solutions rather than relying primarily on international trade.

Miller shared the sentiment, noting that while uncertainty can delay progress, it doesn’t halt it altogether.

“Our level of investment is not changing,” he said. “We may be pausing and reaffirming this is the way we want to go, but the level of investment and bullishness there isn’t changing. It’s more evaluating the path forward, specific equipment we’re going to be purchasing, things we may need to take another look at, but the overall strategy stays the same.”

Following the trends

With the Trump Administration’s Make America Healthy Again initiative, the FDA has begun phasing out the use of artificial dyes and synthetic ingredients, in addition to reducing sugar and reformulating products to have cleaner labels.

Commercial bakeries are aware of these trends and have turned to their supplier partners to help navigate the restrictions and remove the necessary ingredients.

With help from industry partners and keeping lines of communication open and honest, bakeries are equipped to meet consumer demand while still celebrating the benefits and memories of baked goods … relying on the nostalgia of both to deliver new ways to enjoy pantry staples.

“There’s so much emotion attached to food,” Ross said. “Thankfully, there’s a lot more happening on the ingredient front that gives us more options to be able to follow along with those trends but not jump so far away that everything is boring. In the baked goods space, we’re going to preserve those emotions but also become a bit healthier.”

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