Employee Spotlight – Jarek S., Shift Manager

What does a day in the life at BAF look like for you?
As a Shift Manager, coming to work each day is like meeting with your sports team and you are the coach. You round up the players and give them a plan on how to win the game and a sweet pep talk to get them motivated. Your objective is to beat your own high score and the factory arena is your only obstacle. There is nothing more rewarding than finishing the day and watching your teammates improving themselves in their skills and as a team.

How do you describe BAF as an organization to people outside of the industry?
Basic American Foods is a combination of old time values with the excitement and speed of a modern start-up tech company. The company for many years has had a focus on work/life balance, so you can have time to focus on work as well as your family. Meanwhile, the company can be thrilling as each day there is news of company growth in all departments, as well as new opportunities to be a part of something bigger than yourself. Basic American Foods strives to be so complimentary on personal and professional lives that most employees find it too hard to leave, or they end up coming back after a short season.

What is your signature dish or favorite thing to make in the kitchen?
Despite being famous for my culinary works of art (cereal, PB&J, hot pocket, grilled cheese, mac & cheese, quesadillas with cheese, easy-squeeze cheese, etc.), my signature dish is the Rice Krispy Treat “Broccoli Surprise”. The trick is to add 216 sticks of butter and then heat the marshmallows to their melting point before adding in your choice of cereal. When cooled, drizzle the Krispies with melted peanut butter and/or chocolate (the surprise is that there’s no broccoli).