Introducing the new and improved Beyond Baking!

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MISSION

WBA supports our members by providing access to education and resources to grow business and enhance customer experience through: shared industry knowledge, dynamic networking opportunities, and strategic partnerships.

VISION

To be the premier partner in the baking industry through World-class professional relationships, Building successful businesses; and Advocating for bakers of tomorrow.

What's Inside

INDUSTRY NEWS

Paczki Party - The 2nd Annual Paczki Party hosted by Wisconsin Bakers Association was held at the Polish Center of Wisconsin on Sunday, February 9th! Tickets for this year's event sold out. Attendees sampled and voted for their favorite paczki as well as favorite paczki flavor. The Best Paczki trophy was awarded to Cranky Al's and the Top Paczki Flavor trophy was awarded to Le Reve Patisserie and Cafe for their Sweet Cheese paczki.

Thanks to Jeff Kuderski and his amazing team at the Polish Center, all of our vendors Cranky Al's, Grebe's Bakery, Elsie Mae's Canning & Pies, and Le Rêve Patisserie & Café, everyone who donated raffle items, Prairie Farms Dairy for donating milk, Dawn Foods for donating tote bags, all of the people who bought tickets and braved the snow to enjoy delicious paczki, the Little Miss Polish Fest girls, our photographer Sean from Flashfire Productions, accordionist Dobie, and most importantly all of our volunteers. We had an absolute blast and are already looking forward to next year!

Generational Success at Valley Cooperative Association - Mark Munroe, Valley Cooperative Association's CEO, announced his retirement fulfilling a 35 year career with the Cooperative. Munroe has served on multiple boards including Retail Bakers of America, Dawn Distributors Advantage and the National Association of Flour Distributors. When asked what stood out to him during his career, Munroe shared; "It's been an exciting journey. During my time, we've experienced a tremendous amount of societal change. Navigating it all while perpetuating generational success has been very gratifying and quite an adventure! In reflection, I'm filled with gratitude and appreciation for all the great people who've made our success possible. Looking ahead, I'm very proud of our new leader and have every confidence Valley's best years lie ahead."

In early 2019, Valley's Board of Directors continued the tradition of promoting from within the organization. On March 1, 2020, Munroe will be passing the torch to current Executive Vice President, Rich Wise. "I'm humbled by the Board's confidence in me and look forward to building on our successful heritage." said Wise. Wise is a 1994 graduate of UW Oshkosh and has spent his entire career at Valley. "Our Cooperative is a special organization, and it lights a fire in me each day. Over the years, I've learned from each supplier, member and employee what it takes to strengthen our community. By providing top-quality ingredients with an inclusive approach, we will stay true to our brand promise which is to share in what's possible."

Dawn Foods Celebrates 100th Anniversary with new Thank You to Bakers Campaign, #DonutsforGood Promotion - Global bakery manufacturer and ingredients supplier Dawn Foods announced its yearlong celebration in honor of its 100th anniversary – coming to life in its new campaign, "Thank You to Bakers." Through the campaign, Dawn aims to raise awareness for the hard work the baking community puts in each day and thank bakers across the globe for their dedication.

Connected to the campaign, Dawn also unveiled its #DonutsForGoodEntry promotion that encourages bakers to use the hashtag on social media to highlight the positive deeds they do in their local communities. The promotion includes a raffle for Dawn customers using the #DonutsForGoodEntry when sharing their story. Entries will also be accepted on the Dawn website. Participating customers will be entered for the chance to win a $5,000 donation in their name, to a 501c3 charitable organization of their choice. Dawn will raffle 10 donations, totaling $50,000. "We want to celebrate our 100 years of growth and accomplishments by recognizing those who have made our success possible – the bakers who bring joy every day to their customers and communities around the world," said Carrie Jones-Barber, CEO of Dawn Foods. "As we look back at the legacy we've created, in partnership with our customers, we've grown from a small family business to nearly 5,000 team members. Additionally, we continue to lead the way in digital advancements and industry-leading product innovations coming to market this year that are sure to excite customers. We have a promising year ahead and this campaign sets the tone for our yearlong appreciation to bakers."

To enter, all Dawn customers need to do is share details of the charitable work they do within their local communities along with a photo on social (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter), using the hashtag #DonutsForGoodEntry between February 1, 2020 and April 30, 2020. Bakers can also submit entries directly via the entry form on dawnfoods.com during the same timeframe. Only one entry per customer will be accepted. Raffle winners will be drawn at random and announced on National Donut Day – June 5, 2020. While bakers everywhere are encouraged to share the positive impact they're making in their communities using #DonutsForGoodEntry, only Dawn customers can be entered to win the donation. Raffle rules are available for review and download https://www.dawnfoods.com/donuts-for-good.

The Thank You to Bakers program is all about honoring and highlighting the Dawn partners who have grown with the company over the last 100 years. In addition to the raffle, the program will also include an anniversary party hosted by Dawn on June 3 at its headquarters in Jackson. Customers will be featured – along with their stories of how they support and give back to their communities – at Dawn events and in the company's storytelling throughout 2020, including on Dawn social channels, website and advertisements. Dawn will also be working with its customers to create new, inspiring product offerings throughout 2020.

"Our Thank You to Bakers program exemplifies the values that have built Dawn into the business it is today," said Miles Jones, Chairman of the Board for Dawn Foods. "My family has had the pleasure of being a part of Dawn for 65 of its last 100 years and has been committed to supporting both our customers and communities from the very beginning. While many things have changed throughout this past century – from our digital transformation to our technical expertise and numerous product innovations – one thing remains the same: a relentless commitment to our bakers' success. It's this grounding that will allow us to continue to inspire bakery success for the next 100 years." For more information on Thank You to Bakers and #DonutsForGoodEntry, visit DawnFoods.com. Rules and restrictions apply.

ECONOMY

New I-9 Form Effective May 1, 2020 - This new version contains minor changes to the form and its instructions. Employers should have begun using this updated form as of Jan. 31, 2020. The notice provides employers additional time to make necessary updates and adjust their business processes. Employers may continue using the prior version of the form (Rev. 07/17/2017 N) until April 30, 2020. After that date, they can only use the new form with the 10/21/2019 version date. The version date is located in the lower left corner of the form. To view more information visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration service website here.

Wisconsin Wage Growth - BizTimes says a slow start to the year held down Wisconsin's average wage growth in 2019, but the state finished the year by averaging more than 3% growth during the fourth quarter in most industries. In December, the average hourly wage for private sector employees in the state was $27.10, up from $26.19 in December 2018, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Wisconsin averaged year-over-year wage growth of 1.9% for all of 2019, a figure that ranks 43rd in the country.

Over a Million Tax Returns Filed So Far This Tax Season - Wisconsin's tax season entered its fourth week with just over one million tax filers that have submitted returns out of an expected three million. To date, more than 700,000 refunds have been issued, and the average refund is $720. The Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR) expects filing activity will be brisk the last few weeks of the season and encourages people to file now. This year's individual income tax filing deadline is Wednesday, April 15. There are advantages to filing sooner rather than later.

• You are less likely to become a victim of identity theft or tax fraud.
• You are more likely to get your refund faster, if you have one coming. If you owe taxes, you may still file now and wait until April 15 to pay.
• If you have questions or need assistance, DOR customer service staff are ready to quickly assist, and there will likely be less waiting time than if you file just before the deadline.

People may use the free, fast and accurate Wisconsin E-file online tool to file their state income taxes, or they may choose to use third-party software from an approved vendor. Like other online tools, Wisconsin E-file does the required math to prevent errors and allows direct deposit or withdrawal from a bank account. DOR encourages taxpayers with questions to submit them online or call DOR's individual customer service line at 608.266.2486. Taxpayers will find helpful resources available on DOR's website at www.revenue.wi.gov including: a list of free tax help sites across Wisconsin and more information about them, an online application that will check the status of your refund, and a mobile app available free of charge from the Apple or Android app stores.

FLOUR MARKET HIGHLIGHTS

• Wheat futures prices are higher this week due mostly to large gains in Tuesday’s trading session. Basis premiums have been firm.
• Tuesday’s support came in part from more speculation that China could purchase commodities from the U.S. Another supportive input was Australia’s announcement that their recent harvest was the lowest in more than a decade due to drought conditions there.
• Prices fell back slightly in Wednesday’s trading session in part on the increasing value of the U.S. dollar, which makes the cost of U.S. crops more expensive and less competitive in export markets.
• Russian wheat futures prices declined for a third straight week.
• Prices tried to break through their recent range, but competing factors reined them in. We could continue to see this trend through these last weeks until spring.

TECHNOLOGY TIPS

Why We Are Still Talking About Email in 2020? Source: Content Marketing Institute

Tom Hanks has been everywhere recently talking about his role as beloved TV icon Mr. Rogers in the film A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. But as I look over CMI’s 2019 posts, a different Tom Hanks movie (this one from over 20 years ago) comes to mind: You’ve Got Mail. It seems quaint to recall the days when a voice-delivered email notification generated so much excitement and anticipation that someone hung a whole movie on it. Today, notifications get routinely ignored, funneled into spam folders or, worse, prompt feelings of existential ennui or overload. And yet, we just can’t quit email. Everybody uses it. Marketers and consumers. Boomers and Gen Z. Politicians. Teachers. Students. Job seekers. Employees. You get it, the list goes on. We use email because we must. And because it works. FULL ARTICLE

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