Baking Buzz

Baking Buzz
Baking Buzz keeps you updated on the latest news in the baking industry. Updated every Friday, the stories work with our member publication, “Beyond Baking,” to bring you the latest industry news. Clicking on the underlined type in navy throughout this page will take you to various links!

If you have news you want to share or have any questions about 'the Buzz,' please email bakingbuzz@wibakers.com.

FEB. 5, 2010

A SPECIAL NOTE...
Efforts to help those affected by the earthquake in Haiti
We have all seen the devastation that has occurred in Haiti following the earthquake that hit Jan. 12. If you are wondering how you can help, WBA Executive Director Dave Schmidt received an email from the office of President Obama with the following link. You also can contact your local Red Cross chapter to see how you can help.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/HaitiEarthquake

*****

WBA & MEMBER HEADLINES
WBA member has mixer for sale
Are you in need of a new mixer? One WBA member may be able to help you out! Derek Van Alstyne from Sweet Creations Village Bakery in Slinger, Wis. is selling a 20-qt. mixer with all attachments (including the grinder). His asking price is $2,000, firm. Please call Derek at (262) 644-7949.

*****

WBA once again will be at the Wisconsin Restaurant Expo
The WBA is proud to once again be a sponsor of the Wisconsin Restaurant Expo. This year's event will be held March 8-10 at the Midwest Airlines Center in Milwaukee. We are excited to bring competitions and demos to the show floor again this year. On tap this year:

* The Bakers Best Seal of Excellence (with new categories in 2010!)

* The Extreme Wedding Cake Challenge
* The 4-B Bash, our member event, held March 8 at Major Goolsby's (note we have changed it to Monday night)

* Ashley Vico's from TLC will be here all three days and will led some decorating sessions you can sign up for! Her sessions include: Sculpted Cake Designing, All That Glitters - Fast & Fun Fondant Techniques, and Making it Easy to Make Custom Cakes.

* The Bakers Hall of Fame Inductees will be honored at the 4-B Bash March 8.
Click here for the Bakers Hall of Fame nomination form.

Click here for the complete registration form to sign up for our programming and competitions!

For all the details the 2010 Wisconsin Restaurant Expo, visit www.everythingfoodservice.org.

*****

Food & Wine event planned at Milwaukee Area Technical College March 8
The students, faculty, and staff of the Milwaukee Area Technical College Culinary Arts, Baking, Hotel/Hospitality, and Meeting & Event Management programs cordially invite you to an upcoming event at the college. Here are the details:
A Five Star Food & Wine Event, featuring nine food stations, and silent auctions and raffles will cap off the evening
Date: Monday, March 8, 2010
Time: 5 - 8 p.m.
Silent Auction: 5 - 7:30 p.m.
Location: Milwaukee Area Technical College, 700 West State St., 6th Floor Conference Center
Ticket Price: $45 in advance, $55 at the door
Special Guest Chef, at the Risotto Station: Come and meet Suzanne Schlicht, MATC Culinary Apprentice Graduate and finalist on this past season's Hell's Kitchen (which appeared on Fox TV). During her apprenticeship, Suzanne worked for Bartolotta's Lake Park Bistro and now works for Cesar's Palace Casino and Resort in Las Vegas, Nev.
Menu: Seven action stations and ready-to-eat food
This year, an exciting evening of student-prepared cuisine from France, Italy, Asia, and Latin America, as well as a carvery and assorted sweet & specialty pastries station, will be enhanced with a variety of paired wines.
Ticket price includes four tickets for wine/beer and soft drinks Additional beverages available for purchase. For more information, or to purchase tickets please visit http://fivestar.matc.edu or Call Liane at (414) 297-6535. All proceeds raised assist Hospitality students and faculty (Culinary Arts, Baking, Hotel/Hospitality, & Meeting and Event Management) with scholarship and continuing education opportunities.

*****

Fox Valley Technical College's Cultural Cuisine set for Sunday, Feb. 28
Fox Valley Technical College's Culinary Arts and Hotel & Restaurant Management students and staff are planning the Cultural Cuisine 2010 event for Sunday, Feb. 28 from 4 - 7 p.m. The event will be held at the college, 1825 N. Bluemound Dr. in Appleton (use entrance 10). The event includes a silent auction, raffle, Sparkling Beverage Fair and Gallery Hors d'oeuveres. This event is also sponsored by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association-Big Four Chapter, Fox Valley Culinary Association and Fox Cities Lodging and Hospitality Association. Click here for more information.

*****

Our 2010 Bakers Forum schedule is underway- next one is Feb. 9
Thanks to everyone who attended our first 2010 Bakers Forum at Moraine Park Technical College in Fond du Lac, Wis. We had a great time! Up next is our Forum Feb. 9 at The Extra Special Touch Bakery. Below are the details!

Details for the Feb. 9 Forum
Location: The Extra Special Touch Bakery, Waukesha, Wis.

Address: S29 W27308 Green Ln.
Time: 1-4 p.m.

Host: Diane Wisnieski

Items to bring: Cupcakes or mini cakes that have been doing well for you with the ongoing cupcake/mini dessert trend.

Topic for discussion: Have you noticed any new wedding cake trends in the area and/or trends such as dessert tables other than cupcakes? Or bring any other observances/comments you have about wedding cakes.

RSVP to the WBA Member Services Center if you plan to attend.

Other 2010 Bakers Forums

April 13: Valley Bakers Cooperative Association, Greenville, Wis.
Details for the April 13 Forum (please note the earlier start time)
Topic-“Food Safety & Sanitation Best Practices”
12:30-Opening comments-David Schmidt
1:00-2:00-Glenn Goldschmidt, Equipment Specialist for the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection-division of Food Safety. Topics will include the following: Regulatory Requirements, Equipment Review and Design, Facility Requirements, construction and design ideas.
2:00-3:00-Tom Svitak, Central Region Director-American Institute of Baking (AIB) Topics will include: Third party audits, types of audits and the differences between them, inspections, certified and non-certified audits and inspections.
3:00-4:00-Tom Paris, Regional Manager-Spartan Chemical & Mike Fisher, Business Development Manager-K-Tech Cleaning Systems. Topics will include: How to use chemicals and cleaners, and why? Types of cleaners that are available and why is sanitizing so important, PH, acids, detergents, properly dilution of chemicals and SOP’s. If you were not able to attend the Food Safety & Sanitation seminar on January 20, 2010 held at Valley Bakers…Now is your chance!

May 11: Clasen's European Bakery, Middleton, Wis.
Oct. 19: Manderfield's Home Bakery, Appleton, Wis.
Nov. 2: Milwaukee Area Technical College, Milwaukee

Looking ahead: 2011 Bakers Forums
Feb. 8: Madison Area Technical College, Madison, Wis.

Contact the WBA Member Services Center if you are interested in hosting a Bakers Forum in 2011. We need hosts for the following months: January, April, May, October and November.

*****

INDUSTRY HEADLINES (and other news you can use)
Business owners try to motivate employees
As reported in the BeneCo of Wisconsin HR Source newsletter Feb. 3: Some business owners say their employees—after months of dealing with layoff worries, wage cuts or scaled-back hours—are stressed out and in need of extra attention. (More)

American Bakers Association's President's Letter for February 2010
As reported by the American Bakers Association: ABA President & CEO Robb MaKie has released his February 2010 President's Letter. (More)

News from The Kiplinger Letter
As reported in The Kiplinger Letter Jan. 15: New federal smog standards will impose hefty costs on states and business. (More)

Governor Jeb Bush to headline ABA Annual Convention
As reported by the American Bakers Association (ABA) Jan. 20: The American Bakers Association is proud to announce former Governor Jeb Bush as the keynote speaker for its upcoming Annual Convention, March 13-17, in Boca Raton, Fla. (More)

Publix President Todd Jones Retail Speaker at ABA Annual Convention
As reported by the American Bakers Association (ABA) Jan. 21: The American Bakers Association is pleased to announce Publix President Todd Jones as the retail speaker for their upcoming Annual Convention, planned for March 14-17 in Boca Raton, Fla. (More)

Sanitation Workshop announced by American Bakers Association
As reported by the American Bakers Association: In an unprecedented step to assist food manufacturers, and their suppliers in identifying and implementing best sanitation design practices, eight leading food industry organizations are jointly sponsoring an industry sanitation workshop. (More)

FULL STORIES
Business owners try to motivate employees
As reported in the BeneCo of Wisconsin HR Source newsletter Feb. 3: Some business owners say their employees—after months of dealing with layoff worries, wage cuts or scaled-back hours—are stressed out and in need of extra attention. As the recession lingers, business owners are finding it necessary to take extra steps to make employees feel valued. They say their efforts—many of which cost little or nothing—are critical for maintaining employee productivity, confidence and satisfaction.

Click here for more information on this topic.

(Back to Industry Headlines)

*****

(Back to Industry Headlines)

*****

What's in Store 2010 available through IDDBA
As reported in the February 2010 issue of the IDDBA Dairy-Deli-Bake Digest: You don't need a crystal ball, a giant research department, or hours of time to answer the above question. You just need IDDBA's What's in Store 2010 trends report. The report tracks supermarket deli, foodservice, bakery, cheese, and refrigerated dairy case product data and trends. And, if that's not enough, check out the consumer buying behavior, demographic trends, and random weight deli and bakery sales data. Each IDDBA member receives one copy as part of their membership, but frequently buy extra copies for key staff and customers. T he cost is $99 for IDDBA members, $399 for non-members (plus S&H). Call Jeremy at (608) 310-5000 to order.

(Back to Industry Headlines)

*****

News from The Kiplinger Letter
As reported in The Kiplinger Letter Jan. 15: New federal smog standards will impose hefty costs on states and business. The EPA will finalize its regulations on ground level ozone by Aug. 31, setting a maximum concentration of 60-70 parts per billion over eight hours. States that are deemed out of compliance will risk losing federal highway funding. To meet goals, states may have to target not only utilities and other big plans, but also dry cleaners, bakeries, auto body shops and other small businesses. The stricter ozone limits will be phased in over the next two decades.

(Back to Industry Headlines)

*****

Bill Kristol & Eugene Robinson to headline PAC Dinner at ABA Convention
As reported by the American Bakers Association Jan. 25: “I am thrilled to announce our special keynote speakers of the 2010 American Bakers PAC Dinner, Bill Kristol and Eugene Robinson,” said ABA PAC Chairman Steve Avera, Flowers Foods. “These are two of the most prominent and well-respected political strategists and commentators in the nation, and we are fortunate to have them join us at the ABA Convention in Boca Raton.”

Bill Kristol is editor of the Washington-based political magazine, The Weekly Standard and regularly appears on Fox News Sunday and the FOX News Channel. Before starting The Weekly Standard in 1995, Kristol led the Project for the Republican Future, where he helped shape the strategy that produced the 1994 Republican Congressional victory. Kristol is a former chief of staff to Vice President Dan Quayle during the Bush administration and to Secretary of Education Bill Bennett under President Reagan.

Eugene Robinson uses his twice-weekly column in The Washington Post to pick American society apart and then put it back together again in unexpected and revelatory new ways. To do this job of demolition and reassembly, Robinson relies on a large and varied tool kit: energy, curiosity, elegant writing and the wide-ranging experience of a life that took him from childhood in the segregated South to the heights of American Journalism. Robinson was awarded the 2009 Pulitzer Price for his commentary on the 2008 presidential race that resulted in the election of America’s first African-American president.

“Thanks to the leadership of Chairman Avera and the support of the ABA membership, the PAC Dinner has become the premiere event of the ABA Convention,” said ABA Chairman Chip Klosterman, Klosterman Baking Company. “This important event will broaden the success and strength of ABA’s political arm and well position the industry as we approach the crucial 2010 mid-term elections this November.”

The 2010 American Bakers PAC Dinner is a ticketed event and serves as the primary fundraiser for the political action committee of grain-based foods. Invitations and ticket order forms will be mailed to authorized ABA members this week. To learn more about the PAC Dinner and ABA’s political involvement programs, please contact Kelly Knowles, ABA Director of Political Affairs at kknowles@americanbakers.org or by calling (202) 536-8236.

(Back to Industry Headlines)

*****

“Governor Bush will be a tremendous source of insight and inspiration to our members, and we are thrilled to have a leader of such caliber participating in our event,” said ABA President and CEO Robb MacKie. “His experiences as a former business leader and two-term statewide executive will be invaluable to the baking industry's leaders during this very critical time for our country.”

Mr. Bush, who served two terms as Florida’s governor from 1999 to 2008, is known for his sweeping reforms that opened the doors for new business and created a thriving environment for entrepreneurship. With the convention theme “Leading in Times of Change,” Mr. Bush’s address will focus on the importance of business and government cooperation in solving policy-making challenges.

The heart of his success as governor is his ability to inspire citizens, business people and policy makers to embrace change as the only way to take charge of the future. In the face of inertia and entrenched interests, he reformed traditional institutions such as education and health care.

“The baking industry, like many others, has found itself tested recently by the unpredictability of today’s economic climate,” MacKie said. “We are looking forward to hearing guidance from Governor Bush as to how we can improve our partnership with government leaders for the benefit of our businesses.”

The 2010 ABA Convention promises to be the premier industry event of the year. The theme of “Leading in Times of Change” reflects the fiscal and political challenges facing the country. The convention speakers and presenters will provide the tools the industry needs to help lead the industry and the country to overcome the current economic conditions. ABA’s Annual Convention will bring together hundreds of leaders from America’s baking businesses and their suppliers for five days of networking, idea exchange, and working sessions. Registration is ongoing through Feb. 12, and open to both members and prospective members. More information may be found at www.americanbakers.org.

(Back to Industry Headlines)

*****

“In the year after taking the helm of Publix Supermarkets Todd Jones has faced enormously challenging economic,” said ABA President and CEO Robb MacKie. “He will share with convention attendees the current status of Publix’ markets and the company’s strategies to overcome the challenges they face.”

Todd Jones began his career with Publix Super Markets, Inc. in 1980 in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., working part-time as a front service associate while attending high school. He progressed through the ranks of retail management, spending ten years as a store manager. He then expanded his knowledge of operational leadership while escalating through the positions of district manager, regional director, and vice president of the Jacksonville division. In 2005, Jones was promoted to senior vice president of product business development and, in 2008, he was promoted to his current position of president. As president, he is responsible for the retail operations and supply chain functions for the company.

“Mr. Jones will specifically discuss how Publix’ multi-pronged approach in the baking category has contributed to successfully meeting the demands of its customers,” MacKie said. “He will address key retail initiatives on sustainability, food safety and nutrition, as well as the importance of closer collaboration between retailers and bakers to bring healthy, wholesome and fun products to the market.”

The 2010 ABA Convention promises to be the premier industry event of the year. The theme of “Leading in Times of Change” reflects the fiscal and political challenges facing the country. The convention speakers and presenters will provide the tools the industry needs to help lead the industry and the country overcome the current economic conditions. ABA’s Annual Convention will bring together hundreds of leaders from America’s baking businesses and their suppliers for five days of networking, idea exchange, and working sessions. Registration is ongoing through Feb. 12, and open to both members and prospective members. More information can be found at www.americanbakers.org.

(Back to Industry Headlines)

*****

Sanitation Workshop announced by American Bakers Association - event is next week!
As reported by the American Bakers Association: In an unprecedented step to assist food manufacturers, and their suppliers in identifying and implementing best sanitation design practices, eight leading food industry organizations are jointly sponsoring an industry sanitation workshop. The workshop will provide attendees with practical, real world solutions to take back to their companies. The Equipment & Plant Design Workshop for Allergen/Pathogen Control is being held Feb. 9 & 10, 2010, in Chicago.

Click here for all the details.

Click here for the press release about this workshop.

(Back to Industry Headlines)

*****

Hit Counter

About the WBA Board of Directors Calendar of Events Education

Join WBA Legislation Links News Releases WBA Awards WBA Home WBA Staff WI State Fair