The American Society of Baking (ASB) will induct five industry leaders into the Baking Hall of Fame during special ceremonies at BakingTech 2022, an in-person conference to be held March 1–3, 2022, at the Hilton Chicago. They and their affiliated organizations are:

  • Tilmon F. (Tim) Brown, New Horizons Baking Co.
  • Yianny and George Caparos, Crown Bakeries (formerly The Bakery Cos.)
  • Kenneth R. Newsome, AMF Bakery Systems, Markel Food Group
  • William F. Ungashick, Shick Esteve (formerly Shick USA)

“Success in the baking industry depends upon knowledge, business acumen, and supportive association with allied partners. These factors are well demonstrated by the individuals who will be inducted into the Baking Hall of Fame in 2022,” said Rowdy Brixey, chair of the ASB Baking Hall of Fame Evaluation Committee and president of Brixey Engineering, Inc., Holt, MO. 

An entrepreneur with deep corporate experience, Tilmon F. (Tim) Brown wrote a successful second act to his bakery career. During the first 35 years, he rose within Continental Baking Co. from route salesman to corporate vice president and director of sales. Then he invested his skills in New Horizons Baking Co. (NHBC), Norwalk, Ohio. Over the next 26 years, he led NHBC from a $30 million business into a $100 million enterprise today with 455 employees at four facilities. Mr. Brown built his success on creating relationships with employees, vendors and customers and treating them well. In this, and in his interactions with the company’s community, he practices “servant leadership” as a matter of course. 

Revolutionizing baking’s breakfast category, brothers Yianny and George Caparos pioneered production techniques that enabled thaw-and-serve convenience for the customers of Gold Standard Baking Co. Now partners with of Crown Bakeries, Nashville, Tenn., they created a business built on highly automated, fast-paced, low-cost manufacture of baked goods for the mass market—croissants, biscuits, English muffins, hamburger buns, bread, bagels, Danish, cinnamon rolls, pound cake, brownies, and individually wrapped items. Their operating style is hands-on, having started in the family bakery business at an early age and learned side-by-side with master bakers. They participate at a high level in industry associations and strongly encourage bakery education. 

Acting with strategic foresight, leadership skills and tenacity, Kenneth R. Newsome built the world’s largest manufacturer of wholesale bread and bun baking equipment, all within two decades. After a short period working for a leading consulting group, Mr. Newsome put together a team of local investors and in 1996 acquired AMF Bakery Systems, Richmond, Va. Other acquisitions followed, as did affiliation with Markel Corp. Under his leadership, the business grew to include international operations, too, and is now the largest U.S./European bakery equipment manufacturing company operating in China. Mr. Newsome embodies the company's corporate motto—"Better food. Better lives.”—through his community activities, including youth sports, and through service as an officer of several industry associations.

By applying the physics of air handling to powdered ingredients, William F. Ungashick helped guide the baking industry into use of modern material handling technologies. Trained as an aeronautical engineer, Mr. Ungashick first worked for Baker Perkins in sales before founding in 1956 Shick Engineering, now Shick Esteve, Kansas City, MO. At that time, flour was delivered in bags and dumped by hand into mixers at wholesale bakeries. One of his first inventions was a “baby bulk truck” that could deliver flour in 20,000-lb lots. Over the years, ingredient automation devised by Mr. Ungashick and his company encompassed bulk flour, oil, cream yeast and sugar, plus dry and liquid minor ingredients, thus enabling complete recipe management. Mr. Ungashick was named by his alma mater as 1971 Notre Dame Man of the Year for his commitment to his community, his faith and his fellow man.

“The individuals we elect to the Baking Hall of Fame have earned the respect of their customers, suppliers, communities and industry,” Mr. Brixey said. “They inspire our future by their examples.” 

Since its launch in 2006, the Baking Hall of Fame will have enshrined 97 individuals as of 2022. They come from all walks of life in the baking industry—from bakeries, allied equipment and ingredient suppliers, schools, service organizations, and publishers. Their accomplishments can be read at www.asbe.org. Click on “About Us” and then “The Baking Hall of Fame.” This website also provides forms and instructions for nominating industry leaders for future induction into the ASB Baking Hall of Fame.