BEMA - June 2018 - 76

by Joanie Spencer
n association doesn't last 10 decades
without continuity. But it can't survive without change, either. This was the case for
BEMA - once known as the Bakery Equipment
Manufacturers Association - before the acronym
and logo changed in 2000 to reflect a modern face
of membership. This might seem like a simple
modification, but it was actually the result of a few
adjustments that changed not only BEMA's identity but also what the association and its members
bring to the industry.
In 1993, although the acronym still technically
stood for equipment manufacturers, BEMA
opened its membership to "all those who
serve the baking and food industries," according to BEMA historical documentation. Then in 2000, a new millennium
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for Bakery Equipment Manufacturers
and Allieds.
The changes were all made in the
name of growth, with the primary purposes
of sustainability for the association and better
support to the industry. "We looked at the limited number of equipment manufacturers
available for membership, and we asked
ourselves, 'How can we grow if we don't
open up membership?' " recalled Fred
Springer, president, Burford Corp., a
Middleby Company.
The answer was found in the allieds

BEMA100 | 2018 | www.bema.org

- from ingredient suppliers to media partners -
which not only gave new breadth to BEMA membership but also deepened the association's ability to
serve as a solutions provider for bakers. "It made us
an even bigger asset to the industry," Mr. Springer
said. "If you want information, just contact BEMA.
They either have the answers, or they can connect
you with a member who can help."
BEMA value - from a member and baker perspective - is built on connections. "That value
happens just as much on the ingredient side as
it does any other part of the industry," said Mark
Hotze, vice-president, Corbion. A member of
BEMA's executive committee, Mr. Hotze started
with the association under Mr. Springer's tutelage
at Burford Corp. and now brings an ingredient supplier's perspective to the board. "BEMA value tranVFHQGVGHOLQHDWLRQVEHWZHHQVSHFL¿FIDFHWVRIWKH
industry. We are inherently more powerful when
we focus on more than just one aspect."
Sosland Publishing Company spent a number
of years as an adjunct participant with BEMA. "The
value of our involvement grew exponentially when
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Mike Gude, publisher of Sosland's Milling & Baking
News. Mr. Gude served as chairman in 2005-06,
and Paul Lattan, publisher of Baking & Snack, also
a Sosland publication, is the 2018-19 chairman.
Kerwin Brown, BEMA president and CEO, joined
the organization in 2005 from Shick Esteve, a longtime member company, and recalled the mark new
membership had made - and continues to make

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