Recently, BBU celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Mattoon Bakery and the addition of the new Thomas' bagel production line in the plant. More than 300 associates and guests attended a celebration at the Mattoon Bakery to commemorate being a part of the community for 50 years and to recognize the associates who work at the facility.

The celebration included remarks from BBU leaders and the Mayor of Mattoon, who congratulated and thanked BBU for the positive impact the facility has made in the city. 

In addition to celebrating the anniversary of the facility, Francisco Sanchez, Plant Manager, honored several Mattoon associates for their dedication and commitment to the Company and their co-workers.

• Productivity: Chris Watts, Mechanic, received the award for Productivity and was recently named the Mechanic of the Quarter for his persistence and commitment to the success of the team and the bakery.

• Safety: Jared Hayse, Supervisor-Production, Tony Wolfe, Supervisor-Plant Maintenance and Maggie Cox, Supervisor-Production, were all honored for fostering a work environment committed to safety and for living BBU’s Safety Beliefs and Principles.

• Quality: Bonita Warner Indexer Operator, was given the award for Quality for her efforts to correct waste in the bakery and for always displaying a can-do attitude. 

• Longevity: Duane Carlyle, Bagger Operator, Bob Hampton, Oven Operator, and Jim Tribby, Distribution Driver, were celebrated for their longevity at the Mattoon Bakery. Each has worked at the bakery for more than 40 years and together they have a combined 128 years of service.

“It goes without saying that we would not be here today if it wasn’t for the hard work and dedication of our Mattoon associates,” said Francisco. “It’s an honor to work shoulder to shoulder with them and everyone at the bakery deserves a round of applause for their commitment.”

To honor the community that has been home to the Mattoon bakery for 50 years, BBU made a $10,000 donation to the Mattoon Parks and Recreation Department to support their continued maintenance and beautification of the city’s many parks, sports fields and walking and bike paths. The event also featured an opening performance by the Mattoon High School marching band, food trucks and giveaways for attendees.

In 2020, Group Bimbo acquired Lender’s bagels and the Mattoon bakery. Today, more than 9 million bagels are produced every week at the Mattoon plant.

Happy 50th anniversary to the Mattoon Bakery! #BBUPROUD