Purdue News
Purdue News
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April 23, 1999
Purdue industry summit charts the future of foodNOTE TO JOURNALISTS: U.S. Ag Secretary Dan Glickman will make an unrelated visit to Purdue on April 29. If you would like to attend both the food industry summit and the visit, contact Chris Sigurdson at Purdue Agricultural Communications, (765) 494-8415.WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- The chief executive officers of food companies from all over the world will converge on Purdue University on Wednesday (4/28) to learn more about the forces that will shape their business in the next 10 years. Phil Nelson, head of Purdue's food science department, said 75 executives are expected to attend the two-day, by-invitation-only seminar, entitled "Food Industry Needs of the Next Millennium: Defining the Challenges." "The names of these companies will be familiar to anyone who has ever been in a grocery store," Nelson said. "They'll be here to learn more about what it will take for their company to compete and succeed." The seminar begins with a session by Michael J. Mazarr, senior director for planning and policy at the Electronic Industries Alliance in Arlington, Va. Mazarr, the author of 10 books, including "Global Trends 2005: An Owner's Manual for the Next Decade," will speak on "Toward a Knowledge Era." "Nobody could have predicted on-line grocery stores 10 years ago, but that may become the biggest consumer market yet," Nelson said. "We're want to help prepare ourselves and the food industry for the next decade." Nelson said one way to plan for the unexpected is to make sure you have a handle on what is expected. That's the thinking behind presenting speakers whose expertise is outside the food industry. For example, William Wiggenhorn, president of Motorola University and one of the principals behind total quality management, will talk about employee training. Robert D. Lake, chief executive officer of NFC Americas and Asia Pacific, will talk about the logistics and infrastructure it takes to keep Allied Van Lines on the road. John Mutz, president of PSI Energy, will speak about energy supply and costs. Karl Speak, head of Beyond Marketing Thought, will cover brand management. World Bank policy adviser Robert Thompson, former Purdue agriculture dean, will forecast the global economy for the audience. The summit will end with Howard Dean, president of Dean Foods Co.; Ron Rice, past president of Kroger Manufacturing; Bill Geoppinger, president of Hillshire Farms; and David Hettunga, vice president of Land O' Lakes, giving their interpretation of the next millennium's meaning for food companies. The summit at Purdue's Stewart Center begins Wednesday, April 28, with dinner. It concludes at 3 p.m. Thursday, April 29. The new $22 million Purdue Food Science Building will be part of the seminar. With 36 research and teaching labs, Nelson said the state-of-the-art facility will figure prominently in developing the food technologies of the future. CONTACT: Nelson, (765) 494-8256
Compiled by Chris Sigurdson, (765) 494-8415; E-mail, sig@ecn.purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; e-mail, purduenews@purdue.edu
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