|
In This Issue: Webinar Member Benefit Program Industry News RBA Website:
|
|
|||||
Dear RBA Members, We had begun a search process to fill her position and several of you helped review the applications that we received for the position. At the Executive Committee meeting, we reviewed the process up to this point and concerns were raised about hiring an outside person in the midst of the economic downturn that the country is going through. Our revenue from the 2008 show is less than expected, membership retention has increased but new member recruitment is down and we have concerns about vendor participation in the October show if the recession continues throughout the year. Several Executive Committee members were concerned about bringing an outside person in as our EVP when we are having concerns about revenue and with the knowledge that it would take six-to-eight months for the person to get up to speed. We had several interested internal candidates, including Rick Bittner and Paul Sapienza. Rick and Paul asked if we would be interested in the possibility of the two of them sharing the position. The rest of the Executive Committee went into Executive Session to discuss this possibility. We looked at possible conflicts and concerns as well as benefits from having two people sharing the position. After much discussion, we agreed to offer Rick and Paul an interim shared position. Both will be working from home offices with complete access to RBA data, which will continue to be hosted at the Association Management Group (AMG). We have also signed an 11-month contract with AMG at a greatly reduced rate to provide us with office space, accounting and payroll services for Aleksandra Syska, Director of Member Relations & Communications, and Howard Cook, our new Member Services, Certification Specialist. This will allow Rick and Paul enough time to make decisions on the best location for our staff office. Executive Committee members feel that we will benefit greatly by having Rick and Paul share the position given their locations and connections in Chicago and New York. For legal purposes, Rick will assume the title of Executive Director and Paul will have a title as Administrative Vice President and duties will be delineated in contracts and procedural documents that are being developed. Paul will be resigning his position with the New York association so that we do not have any conflicts of interest. Rick assumed his position on February 1 and Paul will begin work on March 1. I am confident as we move forward that this will be a very positive move for RBA and I look forward to working with both of them. If you have any questions, give me a call. Lynn Schurman |
||||||
|
||||||
Brought to you by Retail Bakers of America and the Pillsbury Bakery Institute GRAND PRIZE: HOW TO ENTER:
3. Mail your completed official entry form, essay and photos to: Open to members or authorized representatives of the Retail Bakers of America association who are legal residents of the United States residing in one of the 50 United States or the District of Columbia 18 years of age or older as of February 16, 2009. Sponsored by General Mills Sales Inc., One General Mills Blvd., Minneapolis, MN 55440. Odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entries must be postmarked by May 1, 2009.
Lubeley's Bakery Wins Makeover from Pillsbury 72-year-Old Mom-and-Pop Bakery Wins National Makeover Contest |
||||||
Thank you to all who participated in RBA's 2008 membership drive, which concluded December 31, 2008. Twenty-one new members were welcomed to the Retail Bakers of America by members like you who shared the value of their RBA membership with their peers. RBA is pleased to announce the winners of the 2008 RBA CONNECTIONS Membership Drive, who received a percentage discount off their 2009 membership dues. Congratulations! 1st Place Our contest may officially be over, but we encourage you to continue spreading the good word about the Retail Bakers of America and invite others to membership. Thank you for your continued support of the advancement of bakery businesses and helping the industry GROW! |
||||||
RBA wishes to welcome our newest members from December and January! ALLIED Gluten Intolerance Group of North America Lockwood Manufacturing INDIVIDUAL Marianne Sussman Adam Duke Down Home Baking Company Lola Cookies @ Treats Nino's Italian Wholesale Bakery Steubenville Downtown Bakery, Inc. The Blackberry Bakery
Calais, ME Marie Emerson |
||||||
Congratulations to Mike "Top Banana" Lawrence of Havana Banana Breads in Laurel, Md, who was featured in The Washington Post Magazine in the "Making It" section on February 15. You can also view this article by clicking here. Congratulations to Manderfield's Home Bakery (locations in Appleton and Menasha, Wis.) for being named the Bakery Operation of the Month for January 2009 and to the Valley Bakers Cooperative Association, Greenville, Wis. for being named the Bakery Operation of the Month for February 2009 by the Wisconsin Bakers Association. Visit www.wibakers.com for more information. |
||||||
RBA new Webinar program continues. Webinars are presented the first and last Wednesdays of every month, covering topics relevant to retail bakers. LIMITED SPACE AVAILABLE! Register today by emailing asyska@rbanet.com with your contact information. MARK YOUR CALENDARS AND RSVP! This program will profile gluten-free consumers, the market potential and ways to gain the trust of this unique market niche. Program Goals: At the end of this presentation attendees will be able to:
Presented by:
Background: In her job as the Executive Director of the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America, a national nonprofit organization, she has successfully launched three food industry-related programs: the Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program, the Gluten-Free Certification Organization, and the Gluten-Free Food Service Accreditation. For 13 years, she has worked with large corp. restaurant chains to provide gluten-free menu options to their patrons. With the acquisition of a similar program, she also works with individual eateries. The Gluten-Free Certification program provides a high quality, third party certification program for gluten-free certification. The success of these programs allows consumer to have a higher level of trust and confidence in dinging out and shopping for gluten-free products. The Gluten-Free Food Service Accreditation program helps all type of food services to establish Best Practices for gluten-free food production, through policies, procedures, training and monitoring. CALL FOR PRESENTERS! What is a Webinar? Is there a cost to participate? Is there a limit to how many people can participate in the Webinar? How do I register for the Webinar? For further instructions on participating in the Webinar, visit the Webinar page to view a PowerPoint presentation. |
||||||
Congratulations to our Newest Certificant! RBA is proud to congratulate the following RBA member for obtaining her certification: Ms. Sarah Crews, CD, Taste of Elegance, West Carrollton, Ohio Want to join the ranks of certified professionals? For more information on RBA's certification program, contact Howard Cook at (703) 610-0230, e-mail hcook@rbanet.com or visit RBA's Certification site. |
||||||
RBA Freight and Freight Administration Program Your freight costs could be cut from 10-30% using LMI's group freight rates.
Concat us for a free no-obligation analysis and start saving on your shipping. Logistics Management Group |
||||||
|
Wow! New methods of getting your message out to the community are growing! Check out our 2009 Media Guide for rates and offerings, then contact Aleksandra Syska at (703) 610-0241 or e-mail asyska@rbanet.com to place your advertisement in Baker's Rack magazine, The Business Owner newsletter, and/or the RBA Update. RBA also offers sponsorship opportunities for the 2009 American Retail Bakery Exposition and Wonderful Wednesday Webinars. |
||||||
|
Check out RBA's NEW Baker's Boutique! RBA's new store features an entire new line of gift and apparel items with RBA's logo! A grand assortment of apparel for him, for her, and for your pets! Great items for your bakery and office too! Visit www.cafepress.com/retailbakers.
RBA's Store book products are also available online. Browse through the online Store Guide for a complete list of resources. Due to limited quantities, RBA cannot guarantee items will be in stock. RECEIVE A FREE BAKERY
EXPANSION GUIDE WITH ANY BOOK ORDER! |
||||||
The Retail Bakers of America (RBA) announces the permanent loan of the RBA Library to Johnson & Wales University Culinary Arts Museum in Providence Library, R.I. The Collection shall be referenced as the Retail Bakers of America Special Collection at the Culinary Arts Museum, Johnson & Wales University . The Collection consists of over 500 books and almost 300 periodicals on the baking industry. The publication dates for over 500 books range from 1909 through 1998. Periodicals titles include Bakers Helper (18881962) and Bakers Weekly (19391969). The RBA Board of Directors has determined that it would be beneficial to members and the baking industry to make the collection available to the public, noted Lynn Schurman, RBA President and owner, Cold Spring Bakery, Minn. By working with Johnson & Wales University, RBA is making access to the collection easier and ensuring the availability of important past works. Many of the items in the Collection are one-of-a-kind publications and cannot be removed from the Culinary Arts Museum , but may be reviewed onsite. The Collection will be subject to JWU's Culinary Arts Museum 's "Fees for Photographic Reproduction" and "Guidelines and Application for Photographic Reproduction. |
||||||
Here is a look at what is occuring in the industry. The statements and view points expressed in these news stories are in no way a reflection of the views and opinions of RBA, as these articles are presented for your information only. We encourage you to contact the publication's editor with your comments. Thank you. COBRA Stimulus Change As you may have heard, the Economic Stimulus package has passed the House and Senate and is expected to be signed by President Obama tomorrow. In this bill includes a provision regarding COBRA insurance coverage. While there have been a couple of different versions of this throughout the process, the final version is slimmed down from the original suggestions. The COBRA provision would slash 65% off the price tag for health insurance for many laid-off workers seeking to extend coverage through their former employers. This coverage would be subsidized by the government for up to nine months , however not everyone will be eligible. To qualify, workers must have been laid off between Sept. 1, 2008, and Dec. 31, 2009, and their annual income in the year they receive the subsidy can't exceed $125,000 for single people or $250,000 for couples. Someone on COBRA prior to Sept. 1, 2008 would not qualify. Also someone who voluntarily terminated their employment during this timeframe would not qualify. Workers laid off from last September onwards who declined Cobra will be given a second chance to enroll. Jobless workers in states that have enacted Cobra-like laws that apply to smaller employers will also qualify for the subsidy. The changes may or may not make Cobra affordable for everyone, but may bring coverage within the financial reach of some workers. Once the bill is signed it is tentatively set to be implemented by March 1. Please note that changes could still occur as this is yet to be signed into law. Peanut Corp. of America Expanded Product Recall Satisfying a Taste for the Home Grown |
||||||
|
Visit the RBA Events page for a complete listing of events and information. Use the National "Day" listings to promote your business and products!
|
||||||
| RBA
Update Submissions |
RICK BITTNER
PAUL SAPIENZA
ALEKSANDRA SYSKA 
HOWARD COOK 
