by doug Peckenpaugh

On Aug. 1, I succeeded my longtime colleague, mentor and friend Chris Luke as publisher of The National Provisioner and Independent Processor. Chris and I had been a team since 2014, overseeing publications in BNP Media’s food, beverage and packaging division, all of which addressed market dynamics and opportunities for growth across multiple industry segments. For me, those areas now include the meat, poultry and seafood sectors covered here, but also dairy foods, snacks and baked goods, candy and confectionery, and packaging. And before I came to BNP Media, I covered agriculture, retail CPG R&D, foodservice, and functional foods, among other categories. Collectively, this broad-based perspective informs our endeavors with distinctive, 360-degree context.

This is my life’s work. I’m nearly three decades down my career path in food publishing, truly following food from field to fork, and I relish every moment. And I’ve been behind the scenes here at The National Provisioner for several years. The opportunity to continue curating The National Provisioner, a stalwart, 130-year-old publication that dates back to the early days of the modern American meat industry itself, is an honor.

Getting a seat at the publisher’s desk is unique for an editor. And I won’t be like other publishers. In addition to the requisite business of running the publications, I’ll continue to closely interact with our audience. I’ll regularly interact with processors, digging to better understand today’s biggest challenges while shining a spotlight on the new supply-chain innovations that will help solve those very same challenges. It’s about continual improvement and embracing growth.

At heart, I’m still a writer. I’ll continue to report on my industry interactions, current market challenges, and category dynamics. There’s always more to learn about our wonderful world of food, fueling our journey.

Along those lines, I’d love to hear from you — not only to learn about the hurdles you face, but also your success stories. We want to shine a light on the innovation in today’s market. Together, we can continue to drive the industry forward and find opportunities for growth.

www.provisoneronline.com   |   september 2022