LAS VEGAS — Since the COVID-19 pandemic struck, questions regarding the future of the baking industry have remained prevalent and critical for all aspects of the baking industry. The triumphant return of the International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE) — held Sept. 18 – 21 in Las Vegas — represented the industry’s rebound from the pandemic’s impact. For the first time in years, seasoned industry vets, emerging professionals, equipment manufacturers and more gathered face-to-face to discuss the future.
John Schmitz, president of North America for Dawn Foods, was among the first-time attendees taking in the sights and insights Baking Expo had to offer. Under the lights of the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Dawn booth buzzed with employees and visitors, many who were connecting in person for the first time since the last iteration of IBIE.
“It’s been so great to be here to connect and reconnect with customers,” Schmitz said. “You can feel the energy, and I think it’s so great that we were able to have this event live and in person.”
Schmitz joined Dawn in January 2020, just before the start of the pandemic. IBIE was the first major industry event he attended in person since assuming the role. Throughout the past couple of years, one of Schmitz’s main learnings came from watching the company adapt to remote operations and the challenges presented with lockdowns, noting the “deeply embedded” partnerships between Dawn and its customers.
“Early on in my tenure, everything changed,” Schmitz recalled. “We all went virtual, and everyone was focused on what we needed to do on a day-to-day basis. For me, it was very impressive to see how the Dawn team came together to partner with our customers to help them survive all the issues that were going on.”
Relationships are the cornerstone of the baking industry. With decades of experience in the food business, including roles at Land O’Lakes and General Mills, Schmitz’s past work in bringing innovation and insights to customers falls right in line with Dawn’s relationship-forward approach.
While much still hangs in the balance for bakery moving forward, Schmitz shared that Dawn remains steadfast in its focus to extend and deepen its partnerships with its customers. The industry remains challenged by issues such as supply chain restraints, but Schmitz noted that innovation remains critical for the future.
“As customer needs evolve, innovation is going to be important, and whoever can meet those customer needs will be seen as the innovation leader,” he said.
“Dawn is a leader, but we need to continue to evolve and improve. We’ve made investments in areas that will help us deepen partnerships and help us support our customers.” — John Schmitz | president, North America | Dawn Foods
In his role as president of the company’s North American division, Schmitz leads more than 2,000 people and has been tasked with bringing together the resources and team necessary to support its customers.
At IBIE, Dawn displayed solutions such as the Pak Perfect Non-Sticky Donut Glaze, a product developed from customers’ need for a glaze that has an increased shelf life. Dawn also showcased products that fit within the insights found in the company’s Global Bakery Trends report, a multi-year effort derived from interviews with more than 100 Dawn customers.
Evolution, however, is not strictly limited to solutions.
“Dawn is a leader, but we need to continue to evolve and improve,” Schmitz said. “We’ve made investments in areas that will help us deepen partnerships and help us support our customers.”
Schmitz shared that evolving the company is also driving innovation through programs such as the Women’s Leadership Development Program. The diversity, equity and inclusion initiative is a yearlong program that partners Dawn leaders with a mentor to help them build their career within the company and the baking industry. At IBIE, the empowerment of women in bakery continued as the company partnered with the Society of Bakery Women to host the “Donuts with Dawn” women’s networking event at the Dawn booth.
“I stood on the outskirts and looking at that crowd in our booth reinforced how proud I am to work at this company,” Schmitz said of the event.
As Schmitz continues his work at Dawn, he hopes to continue developing the partnerships the supplier has with its customers and better understand areas to help them grow in bakery operations and beyond.
“We look forward to continuing to build partnerships, invest in insights and inspiration, and leverage the expertise that we have to help our customers.”
