“When I think of our history as a family in the industry, the one thing that stands out is how admired and respected my dad was as a leader,” said his son, Richard “Rick” Hoskins IV. “That didn’t come from technical knowledge or experience; it came from his endearing heart, big smile and love for other people. Sure, he knew as much or more about the technical aspects of the industry and business as anyone in the room … but it didn’t matter if you were a customer, employee, vendor or even a competitor. He wanted to know the person he was talking to before he would talk ‘business.’ He just refused to be transactional. This is something that I have tried so hard to replicate.”

Hoskins was an industry leader, co-founding BEMA’s Baking Industry Forum and serving as the association’s board chair in 2005. He also served as chair of the International Baking Industry Exposition committee in 2010 and spent countless years leading the American Pie Council, which is still led by the Hoskins family today. Hoskins was named to the baking industry’s “Influential 20” in 2009, and in 2019,  BEMA honored Hoskins with the Fred Springer Lifetime Achievement Award.

“Rich was a strong leader who led with confidence, wisdom, energy, kindness and always with a listening ear,” said Kerwin Brown, president and CEO of BEMA. “He led in a way that was easy to follow. His impact on these organizations and on the industry was substantial and will not be forgotten.”