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