SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. — Marking the opening of the group’s annual meeting and the completion of its strategic plan, the American Bakers Association on April 14 launched Baking Works experience, a revamped website focused on promoting careers in the baking industry and driving employee candidate to member company career sites.

The website update, bakingworks.org, was unveiled in introductory remarks by Eric Dell, president and chief executive officer of the ABA. He addressed the opening session of the group’s annual meeting at the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa in Scottsdale. Dell kicked off the annual meeting together with Cordia Harrington, who is ABA chair and CEO of Crown Bakeries.

Information on the website offers visitors descriptions of potential career paths for positions in bakery production, food safety and quality assurance, engineering and equipment manufacturing, sales, sanitation and shipping and distribution.

The updated website represents a first step toward helping bakers solve labor-related problems, consistently described as the top challenge facing the industry.

“We’ll form an HR Member Task Force to continue expanding this resource so that it educates various talent pools about what baking careers could mean for them and becomes a helpful resource that supports your respective recruitment efforts,” Dell said. “Keep an eye out for more information about this transformed offering as we work directly with your teams to ensure we are creating exactly what the industry needs.”

The recently approved strategic plan was the focus of Dell’s and Harrington’s presentations. Rather than taking a cookie-cutter approach to crafting the strategic plan, Dell said the baking industry’s specific “dynamic culture” served as the starting point for the plan’s creation.

“Not only did we weave that industry culture into the very fabric of the plan on how we can best serve as a partner to your businesses, but we also used it as a north star for determining how we as an association and professional staff will operate,” he said.

For the ABA annual meeting, Dell restated the association’s purpose — “to champion the baking industry;” mission — “to grow, connect and enhance the baking industry through compelling advocacy, events and thought leadership;” and vision — “to propel the baking industry to be the fastest-growing segment of the food industry.”

“Wow, think about that for a minute, to be the fastest growing segment of the food industry,” he said. “I hope you can sense our team’s ambition and drive throughout our new core ideology.”

The group’s three five-year strategic goals are making the baking industry a destination workplace, positively positioning the industry with consumers and policymakers to grow the overall category and for the association to deliver high-impact programs and services for members.

In March, Dell launched a “Charting the Course: Baking Manufacturers Tour,” and he said he plans over the next year to visit as many association members as possible as part of the tour.

Pledging tireless efforts from the ABA team toward reaching the plan’s goals, Dell finished his presentation by sharing guiding words of wisdom he received from his grandmother: “If a task is once begun, never leave it till it’s done. If the labor great or small, do it right or not at all.”

He continued, “My promise to each of you is just that, our ABA team will not stop until our labor is done to reach these strategic goals and we will do it right and in a way that will make you proud.”

In her comments, Harrington emphasized the inclusiveness of the process that resulted in the new strategic plan.

“Be confident in the knowledge that the new strategic plan guiding your association was built by the people in this room,” she said. “All members were invited to weigh in on how ABA could best serve them, and the board dedicated countless hours of their time and expertise to forming this new strategic focus.”

Welcoming an overflow crowd at the opening general session of the annual meeting, Harrington said more than 100 first-time attendees had registered, the largest number to date.

Emphasizing what she called the group’s strong momentum, Harrington said membership has risen to 352 with the 352nd member finalizing their entrance into the association moments before the meeting was convened.

“Our ABA membership now stands at an impressive 352 members strong, demonstrating more than ever that ABA truly is the voice of the commercial baking industry,” she said.