Baking & Snack - December 2024 - 18

OPERATIONS EXECUTIVES OF THE YEAR
ship styles that have high expectations but are not without
compassion and empathy for their employees. Both
men lead first with a collaborative mindset, accepting
feedback from all departments and job roles when looking
at how to improve the bakery, solve challenges and
serve customers. There is pride in being Rotellas, proving
themselves and taking personal responsibility for the
success of their employees and the business.
" My grandfather and father really threw us into the
Lou Rotella III has
formalized the
company's policies
and procedures,
particularly around
human resources,
to support Rotella's
Italian Bakery's
exponential growth.
bakery to learn with everyone else, and I really appreciate
that because we did have to earn the employees' respect
as a Rotella on the production room floor, " John
said. " We had to earn their respect and work our tails off
to prove that we could do a good job. "
While some of the newer employees may not realize
John Rotella and Lou Rotella III have worked every
job in the bakery, the experience gave them both tremendous
respect and appreciation for all that their employees
do. It guides how they approach training and
decision-making.
" We consider our employees a part of the Rotella
Bakery family, " Lou Rotella III said. " We have an opendoor
policy so that people feel comfortable approaching
us with any thoughts, ideas, suggestions or concerns. "
When it comes to making decisions in the company,
a theme of collaboration is consistent throughout. Both
Lou III and John see the value of bringing different departments
together in an attempt at getting all eyes on a
challenge or a project.
" It's important when you're a leader to not just jump
into something but
try to study the situation, " Lou
Rotella III said. " Making a better-informed decision
takes into consideration a lot of people's inputs. We have
a lot of smart people at the bakery who each has their
own subject matter expertise. "
This takes a high level of communication, however,
something that John Rotella pointed out has been helped
by software and other technologies.
" As we grew our bakeries, we had to bring departments
together. The night and day shift were a little
divided, and we had to bring everyone together as one
company, " he said. " We've been able to do that through
communication, particularly implementing more software
that helps all the team leaders and employees communicate
with each other. "
Training and onboarding have also become more
critical as the company has grown to not only retain
those employees but also ensure everyone is operating
in a way that reflects Rotella's core values. Lou Rotella III
spoke to an approach that puts the burden on the company
to appropriately and adequately equip employees.
" We're at the point in our company that when a new
employee walks into a large-scale manufacturing facility,
it can be overwhelming, " he said. " We want to properly
onboard them so that they feel comfortable. They know
where things are, what their job is supposed to be and
who to go to if they have questions, whether about their
job function, policies and procedures, food or occupational
safety. We try to do that up front so people feel
comfortable on their first day. "
Play to your strengths
Rotella's Italian Bakery has grown to the point that to
join the family business does not mean that you have
to be a baker. The company has needs beyond knowing
how to bake a good loaf of bread, from engineering and
maintenance to marketing and sales. Family members
who join the business are encouraged to find their niche,
a way that their personal passions and strengths will
serve the company best.
For John Rotella, that passion is building things and
18 Baking & Snack December 2024 / www.bakingbusiness.com
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Baking & Snack - December 2024

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