Update your Rolodex or your e-file. The American Bakers Association moved on July 31. The association’s new address is 1300 I Street, NW, Suite 700 West, Washington, D.C. 20005. Telephone, fax and e-mail remain the same.

The Long Co.’s annual conference and shareholders meeting is slated for September 14-16 at the Fairmont Hotel, Chicago. This year’s program features speakers such as John Butler, Wal-Mart’s vice president of bakery and commercial bread, who will give a presentation about partnering with the world’s largest retailer. Due to growing consumer interest in organic bread, and other products, The Long Co. has invited Victoria Hartman, vice president of sales for Rudi’s Organic Bakery, to speak about Rudi’s products and the possibility of working with Long Co. members to distribute them. In addition, economist Russell Lamb will brief members on the latest economic trends in the baking industry. American Bakers Association president Robb MacKie will update members on the latest news from Washington, D.C. The Long Co. also will celebrate the noteworthy anniversaries of three member bakeries: Franz Family Bakeries, Schwebel Baking Co. and Holsum Bakery. For more information, visit the Long Co. Web site at www.thelongco.com.

Reading Bakery Systems (RBS) will host a Baked Snack Foods Seminar in Reading, Penn., August 16-18. This short course is targeted to those individuals working in the baked snack food industry and will quickly familiarize participants with core concepts in the areas of ingredient functionality, dough forming and overall baking technology. These topics have been selected to help participants better understand the “hows and whys” of baking, as well as to provide functional transition methods designed to quickly adapt processing concepts from the lab to a full-scale manufacturing environment. A visit to the RBS Edwin I. Groff Technical Center also is included in the seminar. For more information, contact Dulcie Brendlen at 1-610-639-5816, dulcie.brendlen@readingbakery.com.