The BEST Team
Destany Wilson – Scheduling Manager
Since Brixey Engineering’s inception, Destany has been behind the scenes providing social media and website creation. In addition, she has also aided in the reconstruction of PM programs, tracking parts and inventory for bakeries, and all manner of clerical work. Destany is a proud volunteer for Society of Bakery Women managing their database and behind the scenes aid for events, updates, and any and all database/website related queries. Destany is a frequent Pro Tip author for Baking Business magazine.
Mitch Brixey – Inspection Services Manager
Since 2018 Mitch has been learned directly from Rowdy and has also incorporated his own on-the-job skills to provide the BEST service in OSHA level inspections, training, project troubleshooting and more. Mitch quickly moved from apprentice to associate level oversight of installations, parts and inventory management, and writing/correcting PM programs. Mitch is a frequent Pro Tip author for Baking Business magazine.
Chasen Duda – Inspection Specialist
Chasen has 18 years of construction experience starting right after high school. Working for a few different companies, his desire to improve provided him opportunities to learn many desirable skills including electrical, general handyman, and heavy machine operation.
Kyle Brixey – Maintenance Services Manager
◦ Maintenance Manager Dots Pretzels Edgerton, KS and Lenexa, KS Sept 2020 – April 2022
◦ Engineering Superintendent (Assistance Chief) Flowers Foods Lenexa, KS Aug 2019 – Sept 2020
◦ Engineering Supervisor Flowers Foods Lenexa, KS Dec 2017 – Aug 2019
◦ Maintenance Resource Leader Bimbo Bakeries USA Rockwall, TX Sept 2014 – Dec 2017
◦ Hadi Maintenance Exide Technologies Kansas City, MO Aug 2012 – May 2014
◦ Maintenance Tech 3 Bimbo Bakeries USA May 2011 – Aug 2012
◦ Engineering Supervisor IBC Lenexa, KS 2006 – 2008
◦ AIB Resident Maintenance Engineering 2006
◦ AIB Resident Engineering Management 2006
Blaine Kennard – Inspection Specialist
◦ Drury University Law Enforcement Academy 2004 – Current
◦ Greene County Sheriff’s Office 1999-2021 (Detective Sergeant, SWAT Team Leader, Training Director, Patrol Command)
◦ Willard Police Department, Assistant Police Chief 1993 to 1999
◦ ServiceMaster, Director of Cash & Catering/Asst. Food Service Director 1988 to 1993
◦ Springfield, Missouri Reserve Police Officer 1985 to 1990
◦ Missouri Army National Guard Sergeant 1981 to 1988
◦ Outstanding Community Service Award, Rotary Club of Springfield
◦ Missouri National Guard Commendation Medal Ribbon
◦ National Guard Reserve Components Achievement Medal
Rowdy Brixey – President
Rowdy Brixey is a Certified Professional Baker Engineer (ASBPBE) with more than 45 years of experience in industrial baking, engineering, and maintenance leadership. He began his career in 1981 as a bakery mechanic at age 16 and spent 28 years with Interstate Brands Corporation (IBC), rising to Vice President of Engineering for the makers of Wonder Bread, Twinkies, Zingers, Holsum, Butternut, and many other iconic brands.
Following IBC, Rowdy served as Vice President of Manufacturing for George Weston Bakeries’ Northeast region. When Grupo Bimbo acquired GWB, he became Director of Engineering and Maintenance Optimization for Bimbo Bakeries USA (BBU), leading maintenance engineering across all U.S. bakeries. After BBU’s acquisition of the Sara Lee bread and bun plants, his scope expanded to 55 bakeries nationwide, overseeing maintenance for all locations and project engineering for two‑thirds of the company. The portfolio included brands such as Thomas’, Entenmann’s, Brownberry, Oroweat, Arnold, Freihofer’s, Sara Lee, Mrs. Baird’s, Boboli, Lender’s, Tia Rosa, San Luis Sourdough, and many more.
In 2017, Rowdy founded BEST: Brixey Engineering Strategies & Training, an S‑Corp specializing in maintenance management, plant design, and technical training. As one of the industry’s leading industrial baking oven experts, he and his team also provides OSHA‑required annual third‑party safety and mechanical inspections. Today, BEST performs more bakery oven inspections than any other company in the United States—over 400 inspections annually across more than 136 locations. His team also supports oven rebuilds, packaging equipment rebuilds, plant shift coverage, and temporary maintenance leadership.
Rowdy has led numerous bakery interventions, developing and executing remediation plans to stabilize operations, improve reliability, and strengthen leadership systems. His combination of hands‑on technical expertise, deep maintenance‑system knowledge, and an associate degree in business makes him one of the industry’s most trusted engineering advisors.
He has served the American Society of Baking (ASB) as Chairman in 2010/11, chaired the ASB Hall of Fame Committee for five years, and recently served as Vice‑Chairman of the ANSI Z50 Safety & Sanitation Committee. He was also a long‑time member of the BEMA Bakery Industry Forum. Baking & Snack magazine named him its “Rising Star” in 2004, and since 2022 he has authored more than 60 articles and Pro Tip columns for the publication.