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Visit 3-A SSI in booth N-4539 and see our team present from the nearby Industry Speaks stage (N-4544) on Wednesday, October 21, at 12:30 PM CDT. Our booth is located in the Association Pavilion, near the North Building entrance, and directly across from the Industry Speaks stage.

Meri Beth Wojtaszek, 3-A SSI Executive Director, and Eric Schweitzer, 3-A SSI Director, Standards & Certifications, will present "Spec It Right: What Smart Equipment Buyers Do Before the First Quote." The presentation will give food and beverage processors good information and resources to inform equipment purchasing decisions.

Equipment purchases in food and beverage processing are 10- to 20-year commitments. The difference between equipment that performs and equipment that causes problems — longer CIP cycles, failed inspections, contamination risk — comes down to what you require before you sign the purchase order.  

This session gives attendees two practical tools they can use immediately: a Total Cost of Ownership Calculator that translates surface finish, drainage design, and maintenance accessibility into real facility costs, and the 3-A SSI Certified Equipment Directory, a live verification database of 650+ certified equipment manufacturers searchable by equipment category, sector, and certificate status.

Attendees will also hear directly from 3-A Symbol Holders on what separates buyers who get it right from buyers who don't.  Leave with a framework for writing equipment specifications that protect your facility — and the tools to back them up.

Back in the booth, we'll have our handy Total Cost of Ownership Calculator ready to help you compare the true cost of two bids, and we're happy to help you walk through the tool.

We also plan to "soft launch" the upgraded 3-A SSI Certificate Database. Use it to find a list of 3-A Symbol-bearing equipment by Standard, or verify the status of a Symbol certificate from the field. Stop by the booth to be one of the first try it out.

A quick fix on the plant floor can turn into a full regulatory inspection faster than you'd think. Brian Wise, chief of the Dairy Division for the Ohio Department of Agriculture, has watched routine equipment modifications draw exactly that kind of scrutiny. He breaks down which changes cross the line, why they trigger action, and how to protect your plant before you pick up the tools.

Speaker: Brian Wise, chief, Dairy Division, Ohio Department of Agriculture

3-A SSI’s Certified Conformance Evaluators walk through how to prepare for a Third Party Verification inspection, from the documentation you need to the inspection itself.

Featuring Four 3-A SSI Certified Conformance Evaluators:

• Bryan Downer, CCE, VP of Sales, SaniMatic
• Scott Hoffmeyer, CCE, Lead Engineer – Product Innovation,Spraying Systems Co.
• Gabriel Miller, CCE, Principal, Process Innovation - FoodSafety, LLC
• Jason Tucker, CCE, Director of Food Equipment and Systems,JBT Marel

Join us May 3 to 6, 2027, in Chicago for the 3-A SSI 2027 Summit on Hygienic Design. We are building the program around one idea: “Building a Food SafetyCulture Through Hygienic Design.”

Check out the program preview and sign up for early registration notification to save $50 per registration.

Vendors and service providers: Learn about sponsorship and tabletop display options.