In a pivotal move, the event previously known as Process Expo will undergo a rebranding for its 2025 iteration, unveiled at a recent press conference in Chicago.
The biennial show that spotlights advancements in processing equipment will henceforth be called the Equipment and Technology Show for Food and Beverage, or EATS for short. The rebranded show is scheduled to take place in Chicago in October 2025.
Matt Malott, past chairman of the Food Processing Suppliers Association and CEO of Multivac Inc., emphasised that the core focus of the show will remain on the food and beverage production sectors.
The rebranding comes with an expanded scope. EATS aims to cover a wider range of industries, including not only the standard categories of beverages and proteins but also branching out into sweets, bakery, cannabis, dairy, pet, and prepared foods.
Next, let’s move on to Walmart’s involvement in the beef industry:
Walmart’s Beef Venture: A Critical Analysis of Benefits and Drawbacks
Sustainable Beef LLC’s 320,000-square-foot plant in North Platte, Nebraska is gradually coming to fruition, along with its groundbreaking partnership with Walmart, America’s largest beef purchaser. Spearheaded by Trey Wasserburger, owner of TD Angus, and backed by six other beef-producing families in Nebraska, the initiative has been met with both optimism and scepticism.
Since 2021, this consortium has shifted away from the traditional cattleman-packer model to operate its own major packing facility.
Their partnership with Walmart doesn’t merely represent a business transaction; it underscores Walmart’s ongoing strategy to vertically integrate the beef supply chain. Following a similar venture in Thomasville, Georgia in 2019, Walmart is also constructing a 300,000-square-foot case-ready plant in Olathe, Kansas.
This move reflects a broader industry trend accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic: Major retailers are ascending the supply chain to seize greater margins and reduce costs.
North Platte, known historically as the western terminus of the Union Pacific Railroad, now represents the next phase in this evolving relationship between beef producers and retailers.
Opinions are divided on whether Walmart’s entry is beneficial for cattle producers. Some argue that the retail behemoth might act against the producers’ best interests, while others see it as a positive development in modernising the beef supply chain.
For Wasserburger, there’s no room for debate. As he puts it, “If you’re in the cattle business today, you’re doing business with Walmart—like it or not.”
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