Baking & Snack - December 2017 - 12

Cookies, karaoke and continuous improvement
I want to celebrate the holidays at Rich Holland's house.
The senior director of manufacturing, baked goods,
for Oak Brook, IL-based TreeHouse Foods was named
Baking & Snack's 2017 Operations Executive of the Year,
and I had the privilege of sitting down with him for the
profile on Page 21. The biggest thing I learned? How people are just as important as processes.
Mr. Holland received this prestigious honor not only
for his vast continuous improvement contributions to
TreeHouse Foods but also for his commitment to the
industry through efforts such as the American Bakers
Association's Cookie & Cracker Academy. And while his
list of professional accolades spans two decades and as
many manufacturing plants, there's also something extra special about him. At Christmas, he and his family play "Karaoke Roulette" on their home karaoke
machine. Whatever song you draw from the hat,
that's the song you sing ... no matter what.
This doesn't surprise me. The first time
I met Mr. Holland, he was belting out a rock
song that could put Jon Bon Jovi himself out of
work. (Helpful hint: If you ever hear him say,
"Forgive me, I've never sung this song before,"
fasten your seatbelt ... you're in for some fun.)
You see, this is a person who dedicates so much
of himself to the craft yet knows to not take himself too
seriously. Mr. Holland is all about the people skills and

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savoring every moment, be it through learning, laughter
or good, clean fun.
As the "generational changing of the guard" becomes
more imminent for wholesale baking and we brainstorm
ways to attract and retain a new workforce, none of us can
afford to take ourselves too seriously.
I've mentioned the generational spread we have on
the Baking & Snack editorial team: three millennials
bookended by a boomer and an X-er. This month, I set
those three loose to find out what's really going on between their generation and the baking industry. We hear
about it at every turn - the researchers run slides on
millennial spending, and the panelists talk about how to
lure them into the workforce - and we write about it all
the time. But on Page 41, you get to hear from these editors as both reporters on the industry and the shoppers
who buy your products.
Be warned ... they analyze the data, but they also honestly describe their own spending and eating habits.
I hope you enjoy this issue as we close out the year
celebrating operational excellence and peer through the
window at "real millennials." As for me, I'll be brushing
up on my '80s rock and a few show tunes, just in case
Mr. Holland calls for karaoke ... and hopefully some
TreeHouse cookies. Happy New Year!
- Joanie Spencer, editor
jspencer@sosland.com

EDITORIAL
Editor
Joanie Spencer
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Dan Malovany
Managing Editor
Nico Roesler
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Charlotte Atchley
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Anna Wiber
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Donna Berry
David Busken
Len Heflich
Jim Kline
Lynn Petrak
Joe Stout

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E-mail: BakingSnack@sosland.com
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Baking & Snack - December 2017

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