Sometimes things just fall right into your lap. Here I was, mulling what I was going to pen for today’s column, when I get this email. Nowadays, of course, emails dictate the direction of our minutes and hours more often than not.

It’s been 10 months since I joined Candy Industry, but it wasn’t until a week ago that I had a chance to partake in an event hosted by the Retail Confectioners International (RCI). I didn’t realize it, but I was in for a treat.

In attending the Welcome Reception on Monday evening and then touring the Expo the next day, I suddenly realized how quickly time can fly in the confectionery industry. 

June is also National Candy Month. While it’s a great excuse to savor some of our favorite treats, it also offers an opportunity to reflect on some of the positive trends and developments in our industry.

And this year, they even have machines talking to themselves. It’s dubbed Industry 4.0. As Wikipedia explains, “Industry 4.0 is the current trend of automation and data exchange in manufacturing technologies. It includes cyber-physical systems, the Internet of things and cloud computing.” 

After three hours of intense, precise work, Jove Hubbard sat bleary-eyed in the lobby of the Chicago Chocolate Academy.