As current curator and editorial leader of Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery—a publication with a history almost as long as the industry itself, originating back in 1911—I have the privilege of traveling across North America (and, on occasion, Europe), visiting with snack and bakery companies and overall industry leadership to better keep a finger on the pulse of the industry. Every corner of the industry has so much to impart.

But it seems like with each year that passes, the industry grows a bit smaller—even as companies continually expand their reach around the world, growing overall revenue. The persistent reality of consolidation, mergers, and acquisitions always factors into our work as we develop our “Top 50 Snack & Bakery Companies” list for publication at the end of each year, and 2021 was no exception.

As the industry grows incrementally smaller, so does our planet. While American snack and bakery market share continues to see some shifts up and down—and periodically an exciting, renegade, upstart brand that disrupts a category in the best way—most of the large food companies continue to grow larger (often by acquiring those exciting, renegade, upstart brands…). International synergies increasingly factor into the snack and bakery business climate, as more companies seek to serve overseas markets—and more international companies acquire longstanding American brands.

The competition is fierce, and innovation is the lifeblood that drives us. To that end, I’m looking forward to an active year of travel, visiting with industry leadership, walking the floors of snack and bakery facilities, attending all of the top industry events, and learning as much as I can about how your business brings an innovative edge to your work. Hope to see you soon. SF&WB