It's somewhat surprising that an organization founded in response to World War I, when bakers were being called on to feed the world, is as relevant today as it was then. Yet, the Bakery Equipment Manufacturers' and Allieds Association (BEMA), Overland Park, Kan., is vital to the baking industry.

At the end of the Great War, the United States was looked at as the nation that could feed a starving world, and bakers needed equipment manufacturers' support to help fulfill their obligation toward this end. Though the baking industry still sees itself connected to something as basic as feeding bread to the world, it's less about food shortages and more about emphasizing the importance of grains in a healthful diet. In fact, BEMA was instrumental in the formation of the Grain Foods Foundation in 2004, an organization dedicated to advancing the importance of grain-based foods in the diet.

“The importance of BEMA is really captured in our vision statement,” says Kerwin Brown, president and C.E.O. BEMA's vision is to be the premier resource in providing interactions, innovation and information for its members and the baking industry. “There's a whole network component there,” Brown adds. “There also is an education and scholarship component, a giving back to the industry piece and certainly the innovation side with the equipment.”

Solutions for bakers

In describing BEMA's long standing relevance to the baking industry, Brown points out a quote in an article written by George Dean, BEMA's first president, where he said, “The baker's problem is the manufacturer's problem, and the problem will be solved with machinery and equipment.” Suppliers and bakers are inextricably linked. Today, bakers face problems with labor, including issues involving training, how to get multilingual employees to use sophisticated equipment and how bakers can cut labor when commodity prices double. “The more we stick together and interact with one another, the more we're going to help bakers solve those problems,” Brown says.

Aside from designing equipment to meet the challenges bakers' face with labor issues, equipment suppliers are working toward finding solutions for other concerns bakers have. For instance, consumers' demand for more varieties of bread forces bakers to have more frequent changeovers, necessitating the need for more flexible equipment. “Labor and costs are such big issues right now that the equipment is built toward those ends,” Brown adds.

One of the ways BEMA helps its members respond to the needs of bakers is through meetings and venues, which were created for people to connect. At these meetings, bakers are given opportunities to talk about industry trends and the challenges they face.

“The International Baking Industry Expo (IBIE) is our premier event,” Brown says. BEMA held its first Bakery Expo in 1920 in Atlantic City, N.J., an event that attracted 150 exhibitors. The expo grew in size and stature throughout the years, eventually drawing international industry experts and exhibitors. In 1981, Bakery Expo moved to Las Vegas and became known as IBIE. The show attracted 440 exhibitors. By 2007, the number of exhibitors had risen to 650.

The next time bakers and suppliers come together for IBIE will be in 2010. “That will be a huge priority for us,” Brown says. “We're going to make IBIE grow and evolve. More than ever before, BEMA and the committee for IBIE have to focus on how to make the 2010 show more relevant. We're asking questions of both bakers and suppliers. Never before has the industry worked together as well. I see a real positive energy going forward because of the way everyone is working together right now.”

One of BEMA's more recent creations was the formation of the Baking Industry Forum (BIF) in 2005, as a means of generating a stronger alliance between bakers and suppliers. Robb Mackie, president and C.E.O., American Bakers Association (ABA), and Brown are both members of BIF, which also includes five equipment suppliers and five bakery executives. The forum has worked on a number of tools that bakers and equipment suppliers can use to improve their communication.

Industry givebacks

One of the perhaps lesser-known facts about BEMA is the emphasis the organization places on what it calls “Industry Givebacks.” Givebacks are a major part of BEMA's budget. “When the Atkins craze was at its strongest, it really affected all of us,” Brown says. “Bakers were losing business, which affected their ability to buy equipment. BEMA stepped up as an organization and pledged $1 million to the Grain Foods Foundation, which helped offset some of the negative effects from Atkins. The leadership at the time felt this was something important that had to be done.”

BEMA gives money throughout the industry, particularly to help support education and scholarships at Kansas State and AIB International-organizations that not only help educate students, but encourage young people to become involved in the baking industry.

Industry givebacks also are given to support the ABA, the Independent Bakers Association, the American Pie Council and the Wheat Foods Council, among others. But, these givebacks often reach beyond financial support to include lobbying efforts. “We supported ABA, which was instrumental in addressing some of the commodity increases,” says Andrea Henderson, BEMA's current past chairman. “BEMA joined with ABA at the Band of Bakers March on Washington this year.”