Baking & Snack - August 2016 - 32

CLIF BAR & COMPANY

Hiring people and the right 'ingredients'
When Dale Ducommun was recruited by Clif Bar, he readily
admitted he was very happy where he was. But then something
happened during the recruiting process. In addition to learning
about Clif Bar's unique culture and approach to business, Mr.
Ducommun spent a few days getting the red carpet tour of Twin
Falls with the mayor and the CEO of the Chamber of Commerce.
"Any question I asked, they answered it," he said.
And that sealed it. As general manager, Mr. Ducommun became the bakery's first hire. His next step involved selecting his
direct reports. Today, they include Susan Marie Potucek, human
resources manager; Riley Wight, supply and logistics manager;
Micah Robinson, continuous improvement manager; Isaac
Norstad, food safety and quality manager; Chris Packer, engineering manager; and Alan Zoeller, production manager.
Each then hired their next line supervisors. That's what happened during the sequential startup of equipment stages. For its
Twin Falls bakery, it all began with the right "ingredients."

about coming to work. White Road Academy and White
Road Expedition take training and career development to
new levels.
A three-dimensional mural in the corporate office space,
the Clif Corps Wall, visibly demonstrates a commitment to
community by mapping out the company's overall community service hours, with its goal of 11,440 hours annually.
People are encouraged to donate at least 20 hours of service
per year, which can be done during work hours. "Imagine
not having to give up your Saturday just to give back to the
community," Ms. Freitas said.
The Emeryville headquarters, a brownfield building,
embodies Clif Bar's "planet aspirations" and sustainability efforts. It took over the location in 2010 and made improvements such as solar panels and open work space, as
well as the use of Forest Stewardship Council-certified and
reclaimed wood for fixtures. It features a drop ceiling of
acoustic panels that are made from recycled blue jeans. All
these elements and more make it the kind of "green" building that suits the Clif Bar & Company brand.
With a thriving and sustainable corporate culture and
a brand that resonates with consumers and communities across the country, the company's aspirations are in
action beyond Emeryville; Clif Bar is once again breaking away and changing the race. And as the company approaches its 25th anniversary in 2017, it took the same
approach when it built its first bakery, known as Clif Bar
Baking Company of Twin Falls, where it will produce
CLIF BARs, CLIF Kid Zbars, CLIF minis and the new
CLIF BAR Nut Butter Filled bars.
"The Clif Bar values have come to life in the first bakery we've built from the ground up," said Rich Berger, vicepresident of engineering. "Clif Bar began crafting the vision
for this beautiful bakery and its unique design long before
breaking ground. We also carefully planned the timing of
this capacity to meet our growing demand for our products," he noted.

Welcome to Twin Falls
Set on a sprawling, organically landscaped 90 acres and
home to two production lines, Clif Bar Baking Company of
Twin Falls establishes itself immediately as a different kind
of bakery. When scouting sites for the new facility, Clif Bar
wanted a location where the company could erect a building that connected its people, business and brands to the
community, while doing its part to sustain the planet.
Once it chose Twin Falls, Clif Bar worked with Idahobased companies Babcock Design Group and DC
Engineering for architectural and engineering services and
Stock CMS for general contracting.
Organic syrups - an ingredient in CLIF BARs - are delivered in bulk and
stored in tanks with space to add capacity as the third production line goes live.
Joshua Roper

32 Baking & Snack August 2016 / www.bakingandsnack.com

http://www.bakingandsnack.com

Baking & Snack - August 2016

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Baking & Snack - August 2016