PLANO, TX — Although the world has experienced massive change in a pandemic-driven era, much has stayed the same … only intensified. That was a driving factor in launching the Middleby Bakery Expo, a free event set for Oct. 19-21 at Middleby’s Bakery Innovation Center (BIC) in Plano, TX.
“It wasn’t so much that the pandemic has created new trends but accelerated the current trends,” said Mark Salman, president of Middleby Bakery. “It was unavoidable, but we have to catch up. We have to digitize our communication and much of our content, and from the bakers’ perspective, automation has become critical.”

Take the labor shortage. Before COVID, bakers were highly concerned about a dwindling workforce; today, it’s a critical issue on the verge of crisis.
“Automation is so important when looking at the struggle to find labor,” Salman said. “Without people with the right technical skills, the question goes beyond the return on investment. For many, it’s about not being able to operate the current lines.”