American Bakers Association (ABA), the American Society of Baking (ASB), Bakery Equipment Manufacturers and Allieds (BEMA) and the Biscuit & Cracker Manufacturers’ Association (B&CMA) pooled their resources to support Sosland Publishing in launching esource, a dynamic electronic directory and buyers’ guide for the grain-based foods industry, on April 1.

“Sosland Publishing is proud to be the driving force behind the new site, which is the only online buyers’ guide developed and operating in cooperation with the major baking industry associations,” according to Paul Lattan, publisher, Baking & Snack. “For the first time, bakers have a well-designed, easy-to-use, single online source for everything they need or want to locate in the industry,” he said. “It will become their go-to site for searching information online.”

The baking and snack food industries have long relied on association buyers’ guides and published directories to keep in touch with one another and with their suppliers. With the proliferation of Internet resources in recent years, information abounds but is more decentralized and confusing to track. ABA, ASB, BEMA and B&CMA have banded together to help change that by supporting Sosland Publishing’s esource.

“esource is the only buyers’ guide/directory that is supported by the major baking associations,” said Kent Van Amburg, ASB’s executive director. “By supporting esource, users are supporting their own industry associations since we are sharing in the revenues, which will allow the associations to provide more member benefits.”

A key element that sets esource apart is that it was developed and is managed by groups that are part of the baking industry rather than a third-party provider that doesn’t have an understanding of the complexities of baking and snack operations.

“We are thrilled to be supporting a strong partner like Sosland to bring the industry a user-friendly, one-stop shop for all baking supply needs,” said ABA president and CEO Robb MacKie.

Kerwin Brown, BEMA’s president and CEO, noted that esource “is the premiere baking industry directory supported by BEMA and its members. For the first time, there is an online, searchable directory that is specific for the baking industry. It has never been easier to quickly and efficiently find exact products from BEMA members, and using esource supports our association and the industry as a whole.”

Stacey Sharpless, president, B&CMA, said the association’s baker members will have more information at their disposal when trying to seek out information on cookie and cracker suppliers. “We have wanted to move the buyers’ guide online for a while and think this is the best possible forum for the B&CMA to participate in,” she said.