SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. — The US baking industry enjoys boundless potential if it harnesses the energetic participation of American Bakers Association membership, said William M. Quigg, chief executive officer of Richmond Baking Co., Richmond, Ind., and the newly elected chair of the ABA.

Quigg spoke to the group’s membership April 16 after he and a new slate of officers and board members were elected for the group’s 2024-25 fiscal year. The election was part of the 2024 annual meeting of the ABA at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale.

Quigg began his presentation expressing appreciation to his predecessor as chair, Cordia Harrington, both for her leadership of the ABA and for the guidance she provided him as first vice chair.

“I’ve gotten to spend the last two years at Cordia’s side and trying to help and assist wherever possible, but I can tell you I have gained so much from Cordia and her leadership and her amazing ability to get things done,” Quigg said. “I considered it a master’s degree in the last two years in how to get things done because it’s truly a unique ability and one that I’ve never seen before. You know, I’ve had many great leaders in my life that I’ve been able to learn from, but I can honestly say none who have been as strong, as focused, and as effective as Cordia has been in the last two years.”

Continuing, Quigg appeared choked up for a moment before composing himself and offering a tribute to his great uncle Eugene Quigg who was serving as president of the ABA 75 years ago when he died suddenly at a young age. Gene Quigg’s son Bill was sitting in the audience.

“Long live the legacy, history, and hard work of the dozens of leaders that have walked this path before me and built such a strong foundation from which we can now grow,” Quigg said. “Certainly part of this role is honoring the past and feeling that strength and foundation that we have, but this job is really about the future and where are we going to go as an organization and most importantly, as an industry.

“It’s very important that we all come together, united as an industry to do good. And when I say do good, I’m not just talking about doing good in America. I feel like we have the opportunity to do good in the entire world.”

The group’s new strategic plan provides the ABA with a “clear path” and opportunities for “great successes,” Quigg said.

“But it’s really going to take the active participation of all the members of the American Bakers Association and all of our friend organizations in order to be successful,” he said. “This is a very ambitious agenda that we have in front of us, that Cordia has laid out for us and the board and the membership has laid out for us, but if we all work together, we can truly have this for the betterment of the industry.”

The baking industry has successfully navigated challenges in the past ranging from wars to deadly storms, and Quigg said he was confident ABA members are up today’s challenges. Recent developments at the group offer a hopeful sign, he added.

“We’ve had a lot of great things happen that have all helped the industry come together,” he said. “We had our first Nexus event, which was powered both by a partnership between the BEMA organization as well as ABA. And this brought together hundreds of bakers and suppliers, all coming together with a really unique opportunity to connect and to find business solutions and outcomes that will help everyone.

“This fall in Washington, DC, we’re going to have our second annual event, and so I hope that you can all join us for that as we continue to strengthen these relationships between the bakers and supplier communities. Last November, we had a bakers fly-in, another great partnership that we had with ASB and RBA, and this partnership amplified the voice that we have with Congress.”

Turning directly to the subject of the strategic plan, Quigg said ABA member involvement will be key when the “rubber hits the road.” He addressed each of the plan’s strategic pillars — making baking a destination workplace and the fastest growing food sector while strengthening the ABA as an organization.

“When we think about the destination workplace, it’s really about our human resources professionals in our organizations, appointing the human resources professional task force so that they can then help set the strategy for how we make those improvements,” he said. “This is groups coming together and really finding the best solutions for the challenges that we face.”

Among steps the ABA is taking to boost baking industry growth is shining a light on the great community work many companies already do, but quietly. Quigg unveiled a prize to be given by the group each year to bakers who do standout work to help the communities in which they operate.

“I’m proud to announce a new initiative that the ABA is putting out, which is called Champions for a Better Tomorrow,” Quigg said. “This award, to be given on an annual basis, is to recognize ABA member companies and their positive impacts they have on their communities, their workplace, and their planet. We’ll be having our first award ceremony at next year’s event in Orlando so I hope you can all join, but this is really a way to spotlight the good work that we’re already doing and just taking credit for it.”