FPSA Releases Groundbreaking Workforce Research Study on U.S. Food Equipment Manufacturing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

McLean, VA – The Food Production Solutions Association (FPSA) today announced the release of its comprehensive 2025 OEM Member Research: Trends in U.S. Workforce Gap and Solutions study. Conducted by Cypress Research Associates, the research surveyed food equipment manufacturing companies to identify the most pressing workforce challenges facing the industry and document proven solutions for attracting, training, and retaining skilled talent.

The study reveals significant opportunities for improvement in two critical areas that directly impact employee recruitment and retention:

Leadership Skills Development: The research found that 75% of fabricators and 64% of service technicians have leadership skill deficiencies at the time of hire or promotion. However, only 48% of companies currently have formal leadership training programs in place. This gap presents a major opportunity for manufacturers to invest in developing the next generation of leaders within their organizations.

Career Pathway Communication: While 75% of companies identified "lack of awareness of company career pathways" as a moderate or significant recruitment challenge, only 64% are actively outlining clear career pathways to job candidates. This 11-percentage-point gap suggests that many organizations recognize the problem but have not yet implemented the solution—creating and communicating structured career progression opportunities.

"The intensifying workforce gap in U.S. food equipment manufacturing requires immediate action," said Chris Lyons, CEO of FPSA. "This research provides our members with data-driven insights into what's working and where opportunities exist to strengthen their workforce strategies. The findings around leadership development and career pathways are particularly actionable—these are areas where targeted investments can yield significant returns in employee engagement and retention."

The comprehensive study, conducted during July and August 2025, a included participation from 22 of the top 59 manufacturing companies. The research examines workforce challenges and solutions across multiple job categories, including fabricators, service technicians, engineers, and sales professionals.

In response to the research findings, FPSA will launch two new events in 2026 specifically focused on leadership training for emerging professionals in the food industry. These programs will provide members with practical tools and strategies to develop the leadership capabilities identified as critical in the study.

FPSA members can access the complete study by logging into Connect at connect.fpsa.org and navigating to the Resource Library to download the Workforce Research Study.

Media Contact
Janessa Kamps
Sr. Manager, Marketing Design & Communications
Food Production Solutions Association
jkamps@fpsa.org

About FPSA
The Food Production Solutions Association (FPSA) is a dynamic community of food producers, manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers. As the only association bringing together the entire food industry across all segments and all those involved in the food production process, we work to create a collaborative environment that brings together industry leaders, experts and innovators. Through meaningful education, industry engagement, and philanthropy, FPSA and our members are shaping the future of food production.