Baking & Snack - July 2020 - 12

Grupo Bimbo touts energy
savings in Argentina
Mexico City-based Grupo Bimbo's five plants in Argentina now
operate with 100% electrical energy from renewable sources.
This brings the total number of countries in which Grupo Bimbo
has 100% renewable energy to seven. The other countries are
Mexico, Portugal, Spain, the United States, Colombia and the
United Kingdom.
As part of the company's global commitment to make its operations 100% renewable by 2025, Bimbo Argentina signed a 15-year
contract with Genneia, the country's leading renewable energy
provider. Genneia has provided three of its wind farms to supply
Bimbo with clean energy. The wind farms are in the provinces of
Chubut, Rio Negro and Buenos Aires.
Grupo Bimbo initiated its clean-energy efforts in Argentina in
2018. This year, it became the country's first food company to produce with 100% renewable electrical energy.
Approximately 80% of Grupo Bimbo's global operations are
powered by renewable sources. In 2019, the company installed
the largest solar panel roof in South America at its plant in Chile,
while in Mexico City, it installed the largest solar roof in the country and the third largest in Latin America in its Metropolitan
Distribution Center.
- Eric Schroeder, Milling & Baking News

Industry icon David Van Laar
retires from ABA
David Van Laar, senior adviser to the
president and chief executive officer
at the American Bakers Association
(ABA), has retired. Mr. Van Laar spent
45 years in the baking industry, including the past three in his current role
at ABA.
During his time at ABA, Mr. Van
Laar played a key role in developing the
Van Laar
association's educational programs as
well as leading the merger of the Biscuit & Cracker Manufacturers
Association (B&CMA) with ABA.
"Dave's far-reaching accomplishments are a direct reflection of
the passion he has for this industry," said Robb MacKie, president
and CEO, ABA. "We are all grateful to his dedicated service to
the industry."
Before the merger, Mr. Van Laar was president of B&CMA
from 2014 to 2017. "I am here today because special people took
an interest in me long ago and mentored me," Mr. Van Laar said.
"I would love to impart what I have learned over the past 45 years
to those coming up in the industry."

12 Baking & Snack July 2020 / www.bakingandsnack.com

Dot's Pretzels investing $15
million in new Kansas plant
Dot's Pretzels, LLC, Velva, ND, plans to build a new $15 million
manufacturing facility at Logistics Park Kansas City in Edgerton,
Kan. The plant is expected to open later this year and will employ
22 people.
"We are making significant investments in our technology at
the new facility to keep the company on an aggressive growth
trajectory," said Randy Johnson, chief executive officer of Dot's
Pretzels. "Not only will we be able to produce more pretzels but
do so with greater consistency and ability to expand our product lines."
The new facility will be the company's largest manufacturing plant. Dot's also has operations in Lenexa, Kan.; Goodyear,
Ariz.; and Velva, ND.
- Josh Sosland, Food Business News

European baking company
expanding in Ohio
Cerelia, a Paris-based manufacturer of fresh, ready-to-bake
dough products for pies and pizza, will expand in Ohio. The company also produces ready-to-heat pancakes, crepes, cookies and
cookie dough,
It will invest $29 million to build a new 150,000-square-foot
production facility in Whitehall, Ohio, to meet existing and future customer demand. The investment will be used for the facility's construction, machinery and equipment upgrades, additional
production lines, and employee training.
"The Columbus region is an optimal location to strategically invest capital and successfully deliver on long-term revenue objectives," said Claude Le Bourg, chief operations officer for Cerelia.
"This new facility will allow us to expand our resources and ultimately increase our market share in the US and Canada."
Cerelia has more than 1,600 employees at 12 facilities across
Europe and North America. Its products are sold in more than 50
countries and generate nearly $555 million in revenue.
- Eric Schroeder, Milling & Baking News

http://www.bakingandsnack.com

Baking & Snack - July 2020

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