BANNOCKBURN, Ill., Nov. 2, 2010 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Barilla America, Inc. is proud to announce that it ranked 6th in the American Society for Training & Development’s (ASTD) 2010 BEST Awards. Barilla is among 31 organizations from India, Singapore, Turkey, and the United States to receive an ASTD BEST Award. All winners are recognized in a special section of the October 2010 issue of Training + Development (T+D), ASTD’s monthly magazine.

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Members of the Barilla Human Resources department accepted the ASTD BEST Award during a reception in Washington, D.C., on September 30. The following day, Barilla America, Inc. presented some of its most notable learning and development practices during a “Learn from the BEST” professional development event.

“At Barilla, our training philosophy is that if the company instills a culture of enabling people to excel at what they are naturally good at and to trust their leaders, performance will follow,” said Wayne Bosch, Vice President of Human Resources at Barilla America, Inc. “This award demonstrates our deep commitment to cultivating the very best workforce in our industry.”

The BEST Awards recognize organizations that demonstrate enterprise-wide success through employee learning and development and awarded Barilla America, Inc. for their “Transformation to Last” (T2L). Finalized in 2009, T2L prepares the organization for a future growth and aligns its many legacy systems with a global platform, connecting employees with information and expertise companywide.  As a result of this initiative, Barilla America, Inc. experienced zero customer interruptions, zero project team employee turnover, and a decreased overall turnover rate of 8.1 percent, compared with the previous year’s 10.8 percent and the industry average of 17 percent.

“The ASTD BEST Awards are the training industry’s most coveted recognition,” said Tony Bingham, ASTD president and CEO. “These 31 organizations excel in creating innovative learning cultures that clearly align with strategic business goals. And they continue to demonstrate their commitment to workplace learning and development even during a challenging economic climate.”

For the 2010 BEST Awards, Barilla America, Inc. competed against 104 organizations in nine countries. These organizations submitted quantitative and qualitative information to ASTD about their learning and development practices and programs. Applications were assessed in a blind review by members of the BEST Awards advisory committee, a select group of experts in the learning and development field.

This is the eighth year of the ASTD BEST Awards. More information about the 2010 ASTD BEST Award winners may be found in the October 2010 issue of T+D magazine and online: www.astd.org/best. Details about the 2011 ASTD BEST Awards program will be available next February.

About the Barilla Group

Barilla, originally established in 1877 as a bread and pasta shop in Parma, Italy, ranks as one of today’s top Italian food groups. Barilla leads in the global pasta business, the pasta sauces business in continental Europe, the bakery products business in Italy and the crispbread business in Scandinavia.

Barilla owns 54 production facilities (14 in Italy and 40 outside Italy) and exports to more than 125 countries. Every year, over 2,500,000 tons of food products under the brands of Barilla, Mulino Bianco, Voiello, Pavesi, Alixir, Academia Barilla, Wasa, Harry’s (France and Russia), Lieken Urkorn, Golden Toast (Germany), Misko (Greece), Filiz (Turkey), Yemina and Vesta (Mexico), are featured on dining tables all over the world.

Barilla has become one of the world’s most esteemed food companies and is recognized worldwide as a symbol of Italian know-how by respecting its longstanding traditional principles and values, considering employees a fundamental asset and developing leading-edge production systems.

For more information, please visit: www.barillagroup.com.

About ASTD

ASTD (the American Society for Training & Development) is the world’s largest association dedicated to the training and development field. ASTD’s members come from more than 100 countries and connect locally in 130 U.S. chapters and with 30 International Partners. For more information, visit www.astd.org.

SOURCE Barilla America, Inc.

http://www.barillagroup.com

Barilla America, Inc. Wins ASTD ‘BEST Award’ for Commitment to World-Class Employee Learning | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

BANNOCKBURN, Ill., Sept. 9 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Some of Americans’ most memorable moments are shared at the family dinner table. To encourage families to “Share the Table” more often, Barilla, one of today’s top Italian food groups, Mario Batali and Julianne Moore have teamed up with 10 notable celebrities to create the limited edition Celebrity Pasta Lovers’ Cookbook. Available for download at www.ShareTheTable.com through October 15, the free cookbook is packed with family meal-sharing tips and exclusive new Mario Batali recipes inspired by favorite pasta dishes from celebrities including Meryl Streep, Kristin Chenoweth and Jimmy Fallon.

By visiting www.ShareTheTable.com and affirming their belief in meaningful meals, people can make a difference in the lives of others, in addition to receiving the free pasta cookbook. For every visitor who clicks on the icon that says they believe in meaningful meals, Barilla will donate $1 to Meals On Wheels Association of America, up to $150,000.

“My family and I share a love for good food and the belief that good food becomes great when it’s shared with family and friends,” said Mario Batali, James Beard Award-winning chef, restaurateur and author. “But because life can be so hectic, families can often forget the simple yet important pleasure of sharing meals together. That’s why I partnered with Barilla – to encourage and help families make mealtimes more meaningful.”

At www.ShareTheTable.com, people will find more than 100 tips to create a family dinner filled with robust conversation, meaningful interactions and flavorful food. “Eating together has enriched my family’s life,” said Oscar®-nominated actress Julianne Moore.  ”Through Barilla’s ‘Share the Table,’ I want to share with others how easy it can be to create meaningful family meals at home and how rewarding it can be.”

The Celebrity Pasta Lovers’ Cookbook features recipes of celebrities’ favorite dishes, including:

• Cheese Tortellini in Sage Brown Butter Sauce (Martina McBride)
• Penne with Roasted Cauliflower (Meryl Streep)
• Vegetarian Lasagna (Julianne Moore)
• Spaghetti Carbonara (Jimmy Fallon)
• Baked Ziti (Andy Roddick)

Other celebrities participating in the cookbook are: Holly Robinson-Peete, Kristen Bell, Ellie Krieger, Mariska Hargitay, Kristin Chenoweth and James Denton.

Sharing the Table to Alleviate Hunger

When families “Share the Table,” they will also help others in need. Simply visit www.ShareTheTable.com and click “yes” to the question, “do you believe in meaningful meals?” and Barilla will donate $1 to Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA), up to $150,000, to support programs serving more than one million meals per day.

“Nearly six million American seniors are facing the threat of hunger,” said Enid Borden, President and CEO of MOWAA.  ”We cannot thank Barilla enough for stepping up to the plate and supporting us in our mission to provide the next meal so no senior goes hungry.”

Making Family Meals Meaningful

Sharing food and family memories has been at the heart of Barilla for over 130 years. “We started out as a father-son business that provided fresh, delicious food for families to enjoy together; four generations later, our purpose hasn’t changed,” said Prita Wadhwani, Integrated Marketing, Barilla America, Inc.  ”We created ‘Share the Table: The Barilla Family Dinner Project’ to help make meaningful family meals a priority because when we ‘Share the Table,’ we nourish our bodies, our spirits and our relationships.” Barilla found that Americans agree. A survey commissioned by Barilla showed that people who eat together more frequently, or have better quality meals with less distractions, claim to be more satisfied with every aspect of their lives.

At www.ShareTheTable.com, families can discover how to develop customized weekly dinner plans, download more than 700 Barilla recipes, design placemats for their dinner tables, learn from family experts, share their own dinnertime stories and pictures with others and more.

For more information and to download The Celebrity Pasta Lovers’ Cookbook, please visit www.ShareTheTable.com.

BARILLA PASTA FRIDAYS SWEEPSTAKES

To help families more easily plan a family meal, Barilla is offering free pasta meals. By entering the sweepstakes online at www.ShareTheTable.com, pasta lovers can win coupons for Barilla Pasta and Barilla Sauce, along with great recipes and pairing suggestions. Five hundred lucky weekly winners will be selected throughout the rest of the year.

The sweepstakes will start on September 11, 2010 and last until December 31, 2010.

BARILLA’S MEALTIME MOMENTS CONTEST

Families making mealtime more meaningful have an opportunity to share their story with other families nationwide, online at www.ShareTheTable.com. Stories will feature how families connect around the table with successes and struggles highlighted. Each week, the winning dinnertime story will earn a month’s worth of groceries to help keep the family meal tradition going strong!

The Mealtime Moments contest will start on September 11, 2010 and last until December 31, 2010.

About the Barilla Group

Barilla, originally established in 1877 as a bread and pasta shop in Parma, Italy, ranks as one of today’s top Italian food groups. Barilla leads in the global pasta business, the pasta sauces business in continental Europe, the bakery products business in Italy and the crispbread business in Scandinavia.

Barilla owns 54 production facilities (14 in Italy and 40 outside Italy) and exports to more than 125 countries. Every year, over 2,500,000 tons of food products under the brands of Barilla, Mulino Bianco, Voiello, Pavesi, Alixir, Academia Barilla, Wasa, Harry’s (France and Russia), Lieken Urkorn, Golden Toast and Kamps (Germany), Misko (Greece), Filiz (Turkey), Yemina and Vesta (Mexico), are featured on dining tables all over the world.

Barilla has become one of the world’s most esteemed food companies and is recognized worldwide as a symbol of Italian know-how by respecting its longstanding traditional principles and values, considering employees a fundamental asset and developing leading-edge production systems.

For more information, please visit: www.barillagroup.com and www.BarillaUS.com.

About Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA)

MOWAA is the oldest and largest organization in the United States representing those who provide meal services to people in need.  MOWAA works toward the social, physical, nutritional, and economic betterment of vulnerable Americans. MOWAA provides the tools and information its programs need to make a difference in the lives of others.

MOWAA is a Member organization, and its Membership comprises of Senior Nutrition Programs in the United States.  MOWAA Member programs throughout the country provide nutritious meals and other nutrition services to men and women who are elderly, homebound, disabled, frail, or at risk. These services significantly improve the quality of life and health of the individuals they serve and postpone early institutionalization.

As a national organization, MOWAA focuses on those issues that can best assist its Member programs in achieving their individual missions of providing quality meals and nutrition services to as many vulnerable people as possible in the most efficient and effective manner, all “so no senior goes hungry”®.  To learn more visit: www.mowaa.org

SOURCE Barilla

http://www.ShareTheTable.com

Barilla’s New The ‘Celebrity Pasta Lovers’ Cookbook’ Featuring Celebrity Recipes From Mario Batali and Tips From Julianne Moore for Making Family Dinners Meaningful | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

For Every Visitor to www.ShareTheTable.com who Believes in Meaningful Meals, Barilla will Donate to Meals On Wheels Association of America

BANNOCKBURN, Ill., Sept. 9 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Some of Americans’ most memorable moments are shared at the family dinner table. To encourage families to “Share the Table” more often, Barilla, one of today’s top Italian food groups, Mario Batali and Julianne Moore have teamed up with 10 notable celebrities to create the limited edition Celebrity Pasta Lovers’ Cookbook.  Available for download at www.ShareTheTable.com through October 15, the free cookbook is packed with family meal-sharing tips and exclusive new Mario Batali recipes inspired by favorite pasta dishes from celebrities including Meryl Streep, Kristin Chenoweth and Jimmy Fallon.

(Photo: http://photos.CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM.com/prnh/20100909/NY61227 )

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By visiting www.ShareTheTable.com and affirming their belief in meaningful meals, people can make a difference in the lives of others, in addition to receiving the free pasta cookbook. For every visitor who clicks on the icon that says they believe in meaningful meals, Barilla will donate $1 to Meals On Wheels Association of America, up to $150,000.

“My family and I share a love for good food and the belief that good food becomes great when it’s shared with family and friends,” said Mario Batali, James Beard Award-winning chef, restaurateur and author. “But because life can be so hectic, families can often forget the simple yet important pleasure of sharing meals together. That’s why I partnered with Barilla – to encourage and help families make mealtimes more meaningful.”

At www.ShareTheTable.com, people will find more than 100 tips to create a family dinner filled with robust conversation, meaningful interactions and flavorful food. “Eating together has enriched my family’s life,” said Oscar®-nominated actress Julianne Moore.  ”Through Barilla’s ‘Share the Table,’ I want to share with others how easy it can be to create meaningful family meals at home and how rewarding it can be.”

The Celebrity Pasta Lovers’ Cookbook features recipes of celebrities’ favorite dishes, including:

• Cheese Tortellini in Sage Brown Butter Sauce (Martina McBride)
• Penne with Roasted Cauliflower (Meryl Streep)
• Vegetarian Lasagna (Julianne Moore)
• Spaghetti Carbonara (Jimmy Fallon)
• Baked Ziti (Andy Roddick)

Other celebrities participating in the cookbook are: Holly Robinson-Peete, Kristen Bell, Ellie Krieger, Mariska Hargitay, Kristin Chenoweth and James Denton.

Sharing the Table to Alleviate Hunger

When families “Share the Table,” they will also help others in need. Simply visit www.ShareTheTable.com and click “yes” to the question, “do you believe in meaningful meals?” and Barilla will donate $1 to Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA), up to $150,000, to support programs serving more than one million meals per day.   

“Nearly six million American seniors are facing the threat of hunger,” said Enid Borden, President and CEO of MOWAA.  “We cannot thank Barilla enough for stepping up to the plate and supporting us in our mission to provide the next meal so no senior goes hungry.”

Making Family Meals Meaningful

Sharing food and family memories has been at the heart of Barilla for 130 years. “We started out as a father-son business that provided fresh, delicious food for families to enjoy together; four generations later, our purpose hasn’t changed,” said Prita Wadhwani, Integrated Marketing, Barilla America, Inc.  ”We created ‘Share the Table: The Barilla Family Dinner Project’ to help make meaningful family meals a priority because when we ‘Share the Table,’ we nourish our bodies, our spirits and our relationships.” Barilla found that Americans agree. A survey commissioned by Barilla showed that people who eat together more frequently, or have better quality meals with less distractions, claim to be more satisfied with every aspect of their lives.

At www.ShareTheTable.com, families can discover how to develop customized weekly dinner plans, download more than 700 Barilla recipes, design placemats for their dinner tables, learn from family experts, share their own dinnertime stories and pictures with others and more.  Additionally, families can receive customized tips to help make their family dinners even better experiences. 

For more information and to download The Celebrity Pasta Lovers’ Cookbook, please visit www.ShareTheTable.com.

BARILLA PASTA FRIDAYS SWEEPSTAKES*

To help families more easily plan a family meal, Barilla is offering free pasta meals. By entering the sweepstakes online at www.ShareTheTable.com, pasta lovers can win coupons for Barilla Pasta and Barilla Sauce, along with great recipes and pairing suggestions. Five hundred lucky weekly winners will be selected throughout the rest of the year.

The sweepstakes will start on September 11, 2010 and last until December 31, 2010.

BARILLA’S MEALTIME MOMENTS CONTEST**

Families making the commitment to enhance mealtime have an opportunity to share their story with other families nationwide, online at www.ShareTheTable.com. Stories will feature how families connect around the table with successes and struggles highlighted. Each week, the winning dinnertime story will earn a month’s worth of groceries to help keep the family meal tradition going strong!

The Mealtime Moments contest will start on September 11, 2010 and last until December 31, 2010.

About the Barilla Group

Barilla, originally established in 1877 as a bread and pasta shop in Parma, Italy, ranks as one of today’s top Italian food groups. Barilla leads in the global pasta business, the pasta sauces business in continental Europe, the bakery products business in Italy and the crispbread business in Scandinavia.

Barilla owns 54 production facilities (14 in Italy and 40 outside Italy) and exports to more than 125 countries. Every year, over 2,500,000 tons of food products under the brands of Barilla, Mulino Bianco, Voiello, Pavesi, Alixir, Academia Barilla, Wasa, Harry’s (France and Russia), Lieken Urkorn, Golden Toast and Kamps (Germany), Misko (Greece), Filiz (Turkey), Yemina and Vesta (Mexico), are featured on dining tables all over the world.

Barilla has become one of the world’s most esteemed food companies and is recognized worldwide as a symbol of Italian know-how by respecting its longstanding traditional principles and values, considering employees a fundamental asset and developing leading-edge production systems.

For more information, please visit: www.barillagroup.com and www.BarillaUS.com.

About Meals On Wheels Association of America (MOWAA)

MOWAA is the oldest and largest organization in the United States representing those who provide meal services to people in need.  MOWAA works toward the social, physical, nutritional, and economic betterment of vulnerable Americans. MOWAA provides the tools and information its programs need to make a difference in the lives of others.

MOWAA is a Member organization, and its Membership comprises of Senior Nutrition Programs in the United States.  MOWAA Member programs throughout the country provide nutritious meals and other nutrition services to men and women who are elderly, homebound, disabled, frail, or at risk. These services significantly improve the quality of life and health of the individuals they serve and postpone early institutionalization.

As a national organization, MOWAA focuses on those issues that can best assist its Member programs in achieving their individual missions of providing quality meals and nutrition services to as many vulnerable people as possible in the most efficient and effective manner, all “so no senior goes hungry”®.  To learn more visit: www.mowaa.org

SOURCE Barilla

http://www.BarillaUS.comhttp://www.ShareTheTable.com

Barilla’s New ‘Celebrity Pasta Lovers’ Cookbook’ Featuring Celebrity Recipes From Mario Batali and Tips From Julianne Moore for Making Family Dinners Meaningful | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Presented by Barilla, this event features plant and recipe giveaways, family activities, gourmet olive oil and balsamic vinegar presentations and three daily chef demonstrations with tastings of delicious Barilla pasta recipes, and more.

Visitors can learn about Italian herbs at an herb cart, featuring flat leaf parsley, basil and thyme. This year, the Regenstein Fruit & Vegetable Garden is featuring an Italian vegetable bed, including Listada de Gandia eggplant, Martino’s Roma and Italian Heirloom tomatoes, Genovese basil, Giant Italian parsley, Borettana onion, Marconi peppers and Calabrese broccoli. Kids can learn about “Eating a Rainbow” at the drop-in family program. A variety of Academia Barilla products will be for sale in The Wheelbarrow and The Garden Shop.

Hours are from 10 a.m. to 5pm. Admission to the Chicago Botanic Garden and the Barilla Italian Cooking Weekend is free. Parking is $20 per car; free for members. The Chicago Botanic Garden Trolley operates between the Garden and the Glencoe Metra station on weekends, June 6 through Sept. 7. Round-trip tickets are $2; Garden members and children 5 and under ride free.

For information about the Chicago Botanic Garden’s programs and events, call 847-835-5440, or visit chicagobotanic.org.

The Chicago Botanic Garden, one of the green treasures of the Forest Preserve District of Cook County, is a 385-acre living plant museum featuring 23 distinct display gardens surrounded by lakes, as well as a prairie and woodlands. With events, programs and activities for all ages, the Garden is open every day of the year, except Dec. 25. Admission is free; select event fees apply. Parking is $20 per car; free for Garden members. The Garden is located at 1000 Lake Cook Road in Glencoe, Ill. Visit chicagobotanic.org, or call 847-835-5440 for seasonal hours, images of the Garden and commuter transportation information.

About the Chicago Botanic Garden

The Chicago Botanic Garden is managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society. It opened to the public in 1972 and is home to the Joseph Regenstein, Jr. School of the Chicago Botanic Garden, offering a broad array of adult classes in plant science, landscape design and gardening arts. Through the Division of Plant Science and Conservation, Garden scientists work on plant conservation, research and environmental initiatives that have global impact. The Center for Teaching and Learning brings the wonder of nature and plants to children, teens and teachers. The Garden’s Horticultural Therapy and Community Gardening programs provide nationally recognized community outreach and service programs. A program of the Chicago Botanic Garden, Windy City Harvest is an organic vegetable and plant production enterprise that provides instruction in sustainable horticulture and urban agriculture to residents of Chicago’s North Lawndale and West Side neighborhoods.

The Chicago Botanic Garden is accredited by the American Association of Museums and is a member of the American Public Gardens Association (APGA). The Chicago Botanic Garden is also host to Botanic Gardens Conservation International-U.S., and a member of the Center for Plant Conservation. In 2006, the Chicago Botanic Garden received the Award for Garden Excellence, given yearly by the APGA and Horticulture magazine to a public garden that exemplifies the highest standards of horticultural practices and has shown a commitment to supporting and demonstrating best gardening practices.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Julie McCaffrey, 847-835-8213
jmccaffrey@chicagobotanic.org

Experience the Flavors of Italy Saturday at Chicago Botanic Garden’s Barilla Italian Cooking Weekend | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.