In the biggest baking industry organizational moves since the founding of the Grain Foods Foundation more than a decade ago, the American Bakers Association is moving toward a merger with the Biscuit & Cracker Manufacturers’ Association. Partnering the two associations certainly reflects how the baking industry, working together, can actually project a more powerful voice in Washington and enhance the skills level of an industry in dire need of filling its workforce gap.
While the merger has yet to be finalized, the two organizations have made significant progress and are in the process of formalizing their partnership. A major step will be made in late March as the B.&C.M.A. and the A.B.A. hold their back-to-back annual meetings in Boca Raton, Fla. With the pending B.&C.M.A. merger progressing, the A.B.A. has made the theme of its conference “Stronger Together,” reflecting the power of associations united under one mission.
“I am very excited about it, from the talent of the professional team to the energy and enthusiasm from the respective members,” Robb MacKie, A.B.A.’s president and c.e.o., noted recently. “I think the value proposition and the relevancy that each of our organizations brings to the table together will be much greater than the two parts. For bakers and cookie manufacturers, these two meetings are an opportunity that should not be missed.”
