Baking & Snack - March 2010 - 28

Idea Prize Winner

Philippe Sanchez
SENIOR PASTRY CHEF
MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL - ORLANDO, FL

Raisin Walnut
Day Chases
Blue
Cheese
Sourp Dough
Boa
Bough Pave
Paws
This bread is dense and
flavorful, rich with raisins and
a perfect combination with
K o�
salad. You can taste
walnuts,

sourdough, blue cheese and
raisins all in one bite.

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9
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ENTERTbDAYLOVEYOURRAISINS.COM
For more
information,
see Page 121
BAKING
& SNACK
/ March 2010

BAKER OF THE YEAR

the panels will cover a small, but
meaningful, percentage of the company's power needs.
Rebuilding infrastructure at
Tasty Baking has included significant steps to shore up the company's
sales systems, said Robert Brown,
senior vice-president of sales. The
sales department has undergone a
major reorganization.
"The department span of control
had grown too wide, and we needed
better field management put into
place," he said. "A few years back, we
had one district manager for every 20
routes. Now, it is one for every 13. It allows us to better support our customers and our distributors."
The company operates approximately 480 routes in its core regions
and uses third-party distributors to
the north from Boston, MA, to New
York, NY, and to the south from Richmond, VA, to Miami, FL.
Additional significant changes
could be forthcoming in the Tasty
sales system. The company is
piloting new route structures in
expansion markets and continues
to evaluate them periodically.
"We think a different approach
will allow Tasty to provide better
service over time," Mr. Brown said.
"It has become increasingly difficult
recruiting talented individuals responsible for selling, delivery, driving and loading. This is a systemic
challenge, not just at Tasty."
If successful, the new approach
could be adopted in certain Tasty
markets and then staged elsewhere
when distributors sell routes, Mr.
Brown said.
Despite manufacturing constraints, Tasty has achieved success in new product development,
Mr. Brown said. In turn, these
accomplishments have given the
company confidence it can play
▶ Dry-ingredient silos are
decorated with the Tasty Baking
logo and products for aesthetics
as well as publicity to motorists on
adjacent freeways.

in markets other than snack cakes.
"Between sugar-free Sensables,
protein bars and whole-grain bars,
we've had some success," he said.
"Who would have thought that we
would have a successful Tasty protein
bar in Wawa stores? We need to leverage adjacent categories without losing
sight of the core Tasty customer."
Mr. Brown said geographic expansion has been and will remain a vehicle for growth at Tasty. Most recently,
the company added distribution into
the Carolinas.
"We've been steadily filling in the
Swiss cheese holes in the East," he
said. "We are looking for profitable
volume. We do have national distribution customers, and these accounts are attractive, too."
In marketing, the importance
of relevancy was emphasized by
Jon Silvon, director of marketing.
"In the core 75-mile radius around
Philadelphia, it is all about enhancing relevancy and connecting with
consumers," he said. "We do this by

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Baking & Snack - March 2010

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