The Last Word

Solutions for All

Before I talk about the IBIE show, let me be clear: The industry has changed. In the past few years, we’ve had to manage product portfolios differently to work around disruptions, and we’ve had to make adjustments for frontline workers who are seeking new opportunities and better quality of life. Consumers have changed as well. They’ve become more sophisticated, more demanding, because they’ve had more time to reflect on and analyze the food they eat.

These are just a few of the changes we’re experiencing, and it’s not just happening in North America. It’s also in Central America, South America and Europe, and I’m certain that other regions of the world are facing things like this as well.

So many businesses have stopped, restarted and grown even bigger, and discovered new opportunities in the process. With all this change, baking companies need solutions, especially in terms of automation, to increase the quality of products and quality of life for their workers.

But the industry has changed in another way, too: We are all more eager than ever to talk with our peers. We are curious about how other companies are adapting to these changes, and we are all looking for solutions. Throughout this year especially, I’ve sensed a collective need to share.

We have spent two years without being in contact with our industry peers and interacting with innovations. But now is the time. IBIE will be the place where we can get reacquainted on these important issues.

As a baker, I’m looking forward to having all the solutions I need under one roof. I know I’ll find automation and sanitation solutions, and I’ll discover new ingredients available in the market, all of which will enhance the quality of my company, people and products. This is the opportunity for ideas and problems to be solved because IBIE 2022 will be the place for solutions … for all. CB

— Jorge Zarate is SVP of global operations for Grupo Bimbo and vice chair of the IBIE 2022 planning committee. Zarate will chair the committee for IBIE 2025.