Milling & Baking News - April 28, 2015 - AIB2

Building for the future
I
n the popular 1989 baseball movie "Field of
Dreams," Iowa farmer Ray Kinsella (played by
Kevin Costner) hears a voice in his corn fi eld tell
him, "If you build it, he will come." Mr. Kinsella builds
a baseball fi eld where ghosts of baseball past return to
play, including his father, who Mr. Kinsella gets one last
chance to play catch with.
In a similar vein, Andre Biane, president and chief
executive offi cer of AIB International, is on a mission
not unlike Mr. Kinsella. Instead of a baseball fi eld, Mr.
Biane has his eyes set on building AIB International into
a bigger and better organization, and instead of ghosts
of baseball past, Mr. Biane is bringing key players from
the food and beverage industry together to create an
all-star team of baking and food safety leaders.
A key part of building an all-star team is making sure
that team has a state-of-the-art facility. So Mr. Biane
is spearheading the renovation of AIB International's
existing headquarters, including the addition of a
10,000-square-foot administrative complex. The renovation
will allow the organization to do a couple things
differently than it has in the past.
"First, we'll be able to do client-based work in the experimental
labs and pilot plant area at the same time as
our courses," Mr. Biane said. "Because of the structure
of the facility we weren't able to do that. This gives us
more fl exibility to do both simultaneously and offer the
confi dentiality that clients expect. Due to these limitations,
I think we've unfortunately trained the industry
not to come to us in the past.
"Secondly, this building was constructed in the late
1970s. At that time it was fairly state-of-the-art for the
baking industry. Well, regulations have changed and
we should be using this facility as a showcase for what
we're preaching in the industry. That's what this
construction will help us do, help us to bring ourselves
up to date and be able to use it as more of a showcase."
The entire project is estimated to cost $15 million and
scheduled to be completed in three phases. Phase 1,
which is currently under way, has a price tag of about
$7.5 million. This phase includes a new 10,000-squarefoot
offi ce building that should be done in the fourth
quarter and occupied by year's end. AIB International
offi cially broke ground on the renovation April 1.
Phases II and III are planned for the future. Mr. Biane
said Phase II could include a redo of a lot of the existing
offi ce space to make it more open.
"We want to make it more conducive to what today's
workforce is looking for," he said.
Additionally, AIB International plans to redo the entryway
to the building so that visitors have access to
only those areas that are appropriate.
"From a food defense standpoint, participants can be
directed to one area, people coming in for client meetings
can be directed elsewhere," he said.
AIB International also intends to make the American
Society of Baking's Hall of Fame more of a showcase.
"We want to reposition that to be very much a celebration
of our heritage and baking training," he said.
"We haven't exactly fi gured out where it's going to go,
but believe me, it's top-of-mind when we think about
future renovation."
The responsibility of ensuring that industry will come
to the new and improved AIB International lies in the
hands of Mr. Biane and the organization's leadership.
"Although many people know what AIB International
stands for, some in the industry don't, and it's our job
to reach out to the people to educate as well as extend
invitations to industry to come and check it out.
"We're going to take a more proactive approach in
communicating and selling and sharing with the industry
what is happening here. I've tasked our people in
the baking group and client development for a game
plan on how are we going to leverage this expanded
and more fl exible capability. It's unacceptable for us
to sit back and wait for people to come. We're going to
have to reach out and market ourselves, which again,
is something that AIB International hasn't done well in
the past. We're going to have to spend more time and
energy to demonstrate this value for clients.
"Secondly, we are in the heart of the grain belt. We
can do a lot of things quickly and effectively to help
clients with product development and in testing. That's
where our marketing efforts are going to come into play.
To be honest, it's beyond just the bread and bun bakers
of the world. We have capabilities in cookies and crackers,
tortillas, cakes, specialty baked goods for retail and
food service type products.
BIANE
2 / AIB International 2015
"Another opportunity is with an increasingly global
food system an international grain-based foods company
from Japan or China for example may not have
R.&D. capabilities in North America. We can do work
for them until such time that they feel they have to
build something here or perennially contract with us to
use as an extension of their R.&D.
"You have to be knocking on doors to attract and
Milling & Baking News - April 28, 2015

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