As the new president of The Long Co, Bill Zimmerman, a 45-year veteran of the baking industry, will preside over his first annual conference, which is being held in conjunction with the Independent Bakers Association (IBA) later this month. The Chicago, IL-based company's annual conference and shareholders meeting will be held Sept. 22-23, at the Peninsula Hotel in Chicago. IBA will hold its fall meeting at the same location on Sept. 22.

Events include a tour of the Chicago Board of Trade and Mercantile Exchange, a co-hosted welcome reception and a full day of speakers on topics relevant to the industry. More information will be available on
The Long Co. website.

David A. Gardner, chairman of the Long Co., said Mr. Zimmerman was selected following a search process that included interviews of a number of candidates for the position. Mr. Zimmerman was selected for his “background and experience in the baking industry, and his enthusiasm for our industry,” according to Mr. Gardner, who is president and CEO of Alfred Nickles Bakery, Inc., Navarre, OH.

Mr. Zimmerman has 45 years of experience in baking with roots in the industry going back four generations. He has held positions in production, operations, and sales management. Most recently Mr. Zimmerman owned Zim’s Consulting LLC, an operational bakery management consulting company. Earlier he was corporate operations manager at United States Bakery in Portland, OR, and before that he held positions with Fleischmann’s Yeast, ADM Arkady and SAF Yeast America.

Mr. Zimmerman is an active member of the American Society of Baking and is a member of the Z-50 Safety and Sanitation Committee, a lifetime member of the AIB Alumni Association, a past member of the AIB Education Advisory Committee, a member of the Biscuit and Cracker Manufacturers Association, and the co-founder of the Northwest Bakers Production Club.

As president of The Long Co., Mr. Zimmerman succeeds Douglas Windeler, who had held the position since 2007.