MAYSVILLE, OKLA. — Burford Corp., a commercial bakery equipment manufacturer owned by The Middleby Corp., has promoted Brian Risch to vice president of innovation. In his new role, Risch will lead the company’s innovation strategy, meaning that he will “(drive) new opportunities through emerging technologies, (guide) the innovation pipeline from concept to commercialization, and (foster) a culture of creativity and collaboration across the company,” Burford said. Risch has been with Burford for almost 18 years, having previously held the roles of director of operations, engineering manager and design engineer. He received a bachelor of science degree in mechanical engineering from University of Arkansas.