bake - April 2013 - 10

management

Information Sharing
More often than not, retail bakers will freely share information

Access to ﬁnancial and business services, along with discounts,

with one another with the purpose of keeping the industry, as a

annual rewards and premium privileges, gives bakers time

whole, strong and proﬁtable. Competition among peers exists

to perfect products instead of worrying about other things.

in retail baking, but everyone knows it’s in the best interest of

“That’s simpliﬁed my life, and that lets me concentrate on

all the shops to work together, and it beneﬁts everyone if all

being a baker,” says Karen Cox, owner and manager of Colonial

the businesses do well.

Bakery, Madison, WI. “They let me focus on what I do best.”

Many retail shops network with friends, colleagues and

Make contacts, network with other bakeries and utilize all

contacts that have been met along the way, but there are also

the available resources you can ﬁnd. This will ensure the best

organizations that facilitate the sharing of information. Another

chance possible for your bakery to remain proﬁtable and retain

way bakeries can help each other out is to join a purchasing

high-quality goods and services for many years to come.

group that allows bakers to purchase ingredients together, in
one large order. Services and education are provided as well.

Regional networking
The Retail Bakers of America (RBA) gives retail bakeries across

Valley Bakers Cooperative

the country access to a number of different resources from the

One example of an association that beneﬁts bakers when

latest news and legislation to education and special events.

purchasing ingredients is Valley Bakers Cooperative

But perhaps the most important thing it offers is networking

Association (VBCA) www.valleybakers.com. VBCA operates

with other retail bakeries. Talking to other bakeries, and espe-

as a wholesale distributor in Wisconsin and Michigan’s Upper

cially those in your region, gives insight into the business that

Peninsula. Dealing in more than ingredients, VBCA provides

can’t be found anywhere else. Regional affiliates allow a more

contacts to services that bakers need to run their businesses.

speciﬁc type of service:
•CARBA – Chicago Area Retail Bakers Association
www.carba.com
•DSRBA – Deep South Retail Bakers Association
www.deepsouthrba.com
•GCRBA – Greater Cincinnati Retail Bakers Association
www.gcrba.com
•GSWRBA – Greater Southwest Retail Bakers Association
www.gswrba.com
•NJBBT – New Jersey Bakers Board of Trade www.njbbt.org
•NYSAMRB – New York State Bakers Association
www.newyorkstatebakers.org
•SRBA – Southeastern Retail Bakers Association
www.southeasternretailbakers.com
•UMBA – Upper Midwest Bakery Association
uppermidwestbakery.net
•WBA – Wisconsin Bakers Association wibakers.wordpress.com
On a national scale
Another group that affords retail bakeries the opportunity to
connect on a national scale is the Resourceful Purchasers in
Action (RPIA) Group.

10 < APR 2013 | bakemag.com

http://www.valleybakers.com http://www.carba.com http://www.deepsouthrba.com http://www.gcrba.com http://www.gswrba.com http://www.njbbt.org http://www.newyorkstatebakers.org http://www.southeasternretailbakers.com http://www.uppermidwestbakery.net http://wibakers.wordpress.com http://www.bakemag.com

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