American Bakers Association will mark its 125th anniversary this year with a series of programs, activities and commemorations.
A year-long celebration will showcase the baking industry’s essential mission, rich history and promising future.
“This industry has always been driven by a desire to provide safe, nutritious and delicious food to communities,” said Robb MacKie, ABA’s President and CEO. “And we’ve seen countless examples of this during the pandemic.”
Celebrating Throughout the Year
Among the anniversary activities planned for this year are the following:
- The ABA Convention, set for March 27-30 in Palm Springs, California, will commemorate the anniversary. The gathering is themed “Celebrate Bakery” and will include a focus on the industry’s accomplishments, ABA’s milestone and the future of the baking community.
- The association will highlight the milestone at numerous other meetings, including those of its professional groups.
- The commemoration will continue as ABA joins partner organizations, the Baking Equipment Manufacturers & Allieds (BEMA) and the Retail Bakers Association, in hosting the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE), in Las Vegas from September 17-21.
- ABA will also illuminate the anniversaries of member companies, which are encouraged to let ABA know of recent or upcoming milestones.
Spotlighting a History of Leadership
The association was founded in 1897 at the first National Convention of the Master Bakers in Boston, and ABA was incorporated in 1916 in Chicago.
ABA has long been at the forefront of promoting food safety and the nutritional value of bread and baked goods — with the latter effort ultimately helping to drive enriched bread standards in the early 1950s. ABA membership now includes some 300 companies operating more than 1600 facilities.
Prioritizing Government Affairs
Over the years ABA increased its focus on influencing legislative and regulatory policies that impact the baking industry — eventually moving its headquarters from Chicago to Washington, DC in the 1970s to be closer to the center of national government.
“We work hard to ensure Members of Congress and federal regulators understand the hurdles,” said Lee Sanders, SVP, Government Relations and Public Affairs.
Supporting Businesses and People
The baking industry is comprised of companies of all sizes, including many family businesses.
ABA helps support members and their workforces, and has evolved its focus areas over the decades as needs have changed. Some of the most important ABA workforce strategies today cover topics such as education, recruitment and professional development. They include:
- The Bakers Manufacturing Academy's online training offers a variety of courses for all knowledge and experience levels.
- The Baking Works careers site promotes wholesale baking careers through employer job listings and candidate resources.
- NextGenBaker is dedicated to developing the industry’s rising leaders — through professional development, public policy engagement, relationship building, and industry trends education.
Even as ABA commemorates the industry’s history, it stays focused on what’s ahead for the near and longer terms.
“We're really laying the foundation for the next 125 years, which I'm sure will be equally exciting and challenging,” MacKie said.
He added that the future will be driven by a dynamic group of emerging company leaders.
“It’s a bright future, but we can’t sit back,” he concluded. “We have to capture and shape it.”