At the UIBC Congress held in Munich, the association’s new president was elected: Dominique Anract replaces Günther Koerfferas.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is lending EUR 90 million to help the Romanian subsidiary of Lantmännen build a new bakery. Lantmännen Unibake Romania will build the facility in Bucharest and will use it as a central production hub, supplying countries in Central and Southeast Europe, according to EBRD.
Grupo Bimbo’s net sales in Q3 – 2023 reached a record level excluding FX rate impact, growing 8.2% due to favorable price/mix across regions, according to its results for the three months ending on September 30, 2023. Its adjusted EBITDA reached historic levels, Bimbo reports: excluding FX rate impact, it increased by 9.5% and the margin expanded 50 basis points, reaching 14.6%.
Bundy Baking has enjoyed successful business worldwide over the past years, with American Pan strengthening its foothold in Europe. Staying close to its customers and listening to their changing needs has not only helped the group weather the storm of recent disruptions, but it has always been the key to thriving. William Bundy – Global President, Operations, Bundy Baking Solutions, and Jason Bowman – President American Pan Europe & MENA talk resilience, acquisitions, technology and, first of all, loyalty, in an interview.
The Unser Heimatbäcker group of companies applied to the Neubrandenburg district court for self-administration restructuring. Lila Bäcker’s business operations will continue unchanged for all its 232 branches and 1,600 employees. The company is in talks with investors, with plans for Lila Bäcker to be renovated in-house.
Tambov Bakery, a business 400 km from Moscow, uses its production facility for drone manufacturing, at the request of the army. Russian state media Rossia recently profiled the bakery, showing breads and drones on a production line.
A new AI image-recognition service is unveiled at iba, which tracks in-store patisserie and bakery shelf performances in real-time. AI specialist MarketLab, in partnership with Puratos, developed Spotimize to help with shelf management, lower waste and improve the customer’s experience. During its current startup phase, the Spotimize service will be available to a limited number of customers in selected countries.
Kusto Group aims to open and operate 55 Wendy’s outlets across Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan by 2030, and will also introduce a Next Generation restaurant layout and innovative AI-based drive-thru in Kazakhstan by Q2 2024.
