BEMA lauds Kurt Miller for lifetime of industry service

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BEMA lauds Kurt Miller for lifetime of industry service

30 Jun 2026

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.

WAIMEA, HI — For two decades, BEMA has recognized tenured members and their commitment to volunteer leadership with the Fred Springer Lifetime Achievement Award. At this year’s annual Convention in Waimea, HI, held June 25-29, the association bestowed the award to J&K Ingredients’ Kurt Miller.

Miller’s industry contributions have supported several BEMA initiatives, including BEMA-U and NEXUS, and he served as 2013-2014 board chair. But beyond service, Miller is known for pushing the envelope, and he’s lauded for his steady judgment and tenacious work ethic.

This year, the association took a different approach to honor Miller, first presenting him with the award and following it with a Q&A session reflecting on his time in the industry.

From his origins as an electrical engineer to selling bakery ingredients and equipment, Miller, in his own words, fell in love with the industry and never looked back.

“Soon after I joined J&K, it was my goal to grow the ingredient side,” Miller said. “I took my J&K hat off, I put my BEMA hat on, I invited competitors and other colleagues. I’m proud to say I don’t even know how many ingredients we have now; there are a lot.”

"I’ve met so many of my best friends in my life at BEMA, and from that, I’ve been able to grow my career with J&K Ingredients." — Kurt Miller | sales director | J&K Ingredients

Putting his BEMA hat on also gave Miller the chance to expand his network, forge deep-rooted connections and solidify his business acumen.

“I’ve met so many of my best friends in my life at BEMA, and from that, I’ve been able to grow my career with J&K Ingredients,” Miller said. “I’ve learned about the businesses, customers and opportunities available in the baking industry because of BEMA.”

Being a BEMA member has also afforded Miller the opportunity to become a mentor, which he says is meaningful at this stage of his career. Looking back — and acknowledging the current state of the industry — he emphasized that being part of the BEMA community makes it a little easier to navigate headwinds.

“The industry is always faced with challenges; today we face GLP-1 medications, low-carb diets, all different types of workforce issues,” he said, “but we have opportunities to pull together like we always have as individuals and support our major partners to solve these bigger problems.”

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