Flour City

Flour City District Meets in August

More than 60 milling professionals convened at the Madden’s on Gull Lake resort in Brainerd, Minnesota in August, for the Flour City District’s annual summer meeting. In addition to the regular educational sessions and networking events, the District identified chairs of the conference host committee for the 127^th Annual IAOM Conference & Expo, which is scheduled for April 2023 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The volunteer leaders will work with the IAOM headquarters team to prepare for up to 1,000 attendees at the spring event.

“We are excited to get to host the annual conference in Minneapolis, a city that has been so important to the flour milling industry in the United States,” stated District Director Simon Tiedge, Miller Milling. “We look forward to having millers and suppliers from around the world gather here next year.”

The northern locale may cause the host committee to be more creative when it comes to plans for events that are normally held outdoors. Despite those possible challenges, the District is eager to welcome IAOM to Minneapolis.

The technical conference opened with a safety keynote address on situational awareness, presented by Steve Fry, Northern Plains Railroad (NPR). During the presentation, he showed several videos of accidents that happened in the workplace that could have been avoided. In one slide, the data showed increased accident rates at times and on days that one wouldn’t normally anticipate.

Jason Grahek, Knobelsdorff Enterprises, provided information on how to stay NFPA compliant with a dust hazard analysis. Abraham Cilliers, Jr., Great Western Mfg., reviewed their new products and provided some reminders about basic sifter maintenance.

Dr. M. Hikmet Boyacioglu, KPM Analytics, talked about the alveograph and its application in flour milling. Frank Reda, MPI, shared information about the smart magnet that was named Best of Show at the IAOM Product Showcase in Richmond earlier this year.

Bühler’s Bill Ritchie talked about temperature and vibration management, a digital service that measures the temperature and vibrations inside rollers and provides continuous analysis.
Tiedge talked about the importance of monitoring seasonal changes in the mill and adjusting equipment and processes to account for the variances in temperature, humidity, etc.
Tom Byrnes, Jr., Blower Engineering, reviewed maintenance and oil tips, and provided an explanation of the Aerzen to TL conversion, along with other services and products they offer.
Following the technical session, the District held its annual business meeting. IAOM President Ron Galle gave an update of IAOM activities and IMEF President Steve Matson presented on the work of the International Milling Education Foundation (IMEF).

The district elected a slate of officers, including Director Simon Tiedge, Miller Milling; Chairperson Seth Byer, Ardent Mills; Co-Secretary/Treasurer Todd Spinner, AGI, and Jason Schiebout, Scherer, Inc.; Vice Chairperson Dustin Sanborn, Bay State Milling; 1st Executive Committeeperson Kiel Rasmuson, North Dakota Mill, and 2nd Executive Committeeperson Tracy Kinneman, Ardent Mills; 3^rd Executive Committeeperson Jimmy Lesko, ADM; and 4^th Executive Committeeperson Kirsty Gordon, Bay State Milling.

The evening ended with a banquet for all attendees in the Pemmican room overlooking Gull Lake, followed by a hospitality gathering sponsored by Corbion.

On Friday morning, 24 golfers played in a scramble to officially close out the meeting. The District is considering a move to a different venue for the 2023 event. District members will receive a survey to share their input and feedback on options for next year’s meeting.

Program

Safety Keynote – Situational Awareness
Steve Fry, NPR

Staying NFPA Compliant with a Dust Hazard Analysis
Jason Grahek, Knobelsdorff Enterprises

What’s New with Great Western
Abraham Cilliers, Jr., Great Western Mfg.

BDI’s Industry Focus  
BDI

Blower Overview
Tom Byrnes, Jr., Blower Engineering

Application of the Alveograph
Dr. M. Hikmet Boyacioglu, KPM Analytics

Industry’s First “Smart Magnet” 
Frank Reda, Magnetic Products, Inc. (MPI)

TVM- a Paradigm Shift in Milling Technology to Increase Mill Performance
Bill Ritchie, Buhler Inc.

Seasonal Changes in the Mill
Simon Tiedge, Miller Milling

International IAOM Update
IAOM President Ron Galle, Miller Milling

Intro to IMEF 
IMEF President Steve Matson, Bay State Milling