Texas born, Pennsylvania bread!

**phillyaggie** · 03-09-2009, 12:25 AM

Mrs. Baird's Bread Co has apparently recently made a move to Philly area.

They have been a local Texan company based out of Ft Worth, and their famous slogan seen/heard all over these parts was "Texas born, Texas bread!" Not any more!

METRO COLUMNISTS Blog | The Dallas Morning News

weird that a Dallas newspaper blog discusses the Ft. Worth newspaper's story...but I suppose it's lean times in newspaper biz everywhere and these two are joining forces in some regards.

Mrs Baird's parent quietly shifts Fort Worth headquarters to Philadelphia | News | Star-Telegram.com

Mrs Baird's parent quietly shifts Fort Worth headquarters to Philadelphia

By BARRY SHLACHTER
barry@star-telegram.com

Bimbo Bakeries USA, the American unit of one of the world’s largest bread bakers and owner of Mrs Baird’s Bakery, quietly shifted its headquarters last month to Horsham, Pa., from Fort Worth, which will see a staff reduction, the company confirmed Monday.

Horsham, a Philadelphia suburb, served as the U.S. headquarters of Canadian-owned George Weston Bakeries before much of the unit was bought by Mexico-based Grupo Bimbo for $2.38 billion Jan. 21.

Bimbo has made no public announcement of the move but did confirm the authenticity of a Feb. 3 internal memo obtained by the Star-Telegram, detailing the change.

Gary Prince, who was chief executive of Weston’s U.S. operations and stayed on in the same capacity for Bimbo, said in the memo that Fort Worth will serve as regional headquarters for the Western U.S. but "will be reduced in size as cor- porate functions are integrated."

Full article on the link above.

So apparently, the HQ moved due to the big shots being in Horsham. Another example of HQs moving where the big guns live/want to live.

**phillyaggie** · 03-09-2009, 12:29 AM

more on Bimbo and George Weston. I hadn't realized they owned so many popular brands.

In 2002, Bimbo paid George Weston Ltd. $610 million for the Oroweat brand, bakeries in Texas, Colorado, California and Oregon, and a direct-store distribution system with about 1,300 routes west of the Mississippi River. It also acquired the license to make and sell Entenmann’s baked goods in the region as well as distribution rights for Thomas’ English muffins and bagels, and Boboli pizza.

In December, the company negotiated to acquire the bulk of Weston’s holdings, with the exception of two relatively small units, one of which produces Girl Scout cookies. The deal closed Jan. 21.

With the acquisition, Bimbo Bakeries USA owns six of the country’s top 12 fresh-bread brands and 35 plants, employing more than 15,000 employees.

It has announced the closing of a plant in Waco.

In his memo, Prince reaffirmed an earlier announcement that his predecessor as CEO of Bimbo USA, Reynaldo Reyna, is his subordinate, serving as executive vice president for California, Texas, the Northwest and the inter-mountain states.

**MarketStEl** · 03-09-2009, 07:30 AM

From nosing around the Web sites of George Weston Bakeries and Bimbo Bakeries USA, this looks like a logical next step for the Mexican company.

Purchasing the remainder of George Weston Bakeries reunites Oroweat (part of Weston's Western operation, which Bimbo bought in 2002, as noted upthread) with East Coast sibling Arnold.

I thought that George Weston Limited also had bakery operations in Canada. Its corporate Web site lists only George Weston Bakeries as its baking operation, and that company now no longer exists.

From what I understand, Bimbo is to Mexico what Wonder is to the US. (Wonder is owned by Interstate Bakeries Corporation of Kansas City, which is the other major nationwide bakery company; I believe it is still in Chapter 11 as of this writing.)

**ArcticSplash** · 03-09-2009, 10:02 AM

OMG Mrs. Barids?!?!?!?!

I gew up on Mrs. Baird's and Butter Krust bread.

Butter Krust was a San Antonio institution until they got rid of their all-glass factory downtown where you could watch the bread move around on the conveyer belts and get sliced.

What's moving to Philadelphia next... Pace picante sauce?

Originally Posted by phillyaggie

Mrs. Baird's Bread Co has apparently recently made a move to Philly area.

They have been a local Texan company based out of Ft Worth, and their famous slogan seen/heard all over these parts was "Texas born, Texas bread!" Not any more!

METRO COLUMNISTS Blog | The Dallas Morning News

weird that a Dallas newspaper blog discusses the Ft. Worth newspaper's story...but I suppose it's lean times in newspaper biz everywhere and these two are joining forces in some regards.

Mrs Baird's parent quietly shifts Fort Worth headquarters to Philadelphia | News | Star-Telegram.com

Mrs Baird's parent quietly shifts Fort Worth headquarters to Philadelphia

By BARRY SHLACHTER
barry@star-telegram.com

Full article on the link above.

So apparently, the HQ moved due to the big shots being in Horsham. Another example of HQs moving where the big guns live/want to live.

**ArcticSplash** · 03-09-2009, 10:07 AM

If Garcia Foods can move up here too, I'm sure my father will have no trouble finding the motivation to sell his house and finally move to Pennsylvania.

Oh man I would love to see if Mrs. Baird's and a bunch of the other stuff they make for H-E-B Grocery Company winds up on Philadelphia-area store shelves.

H-E-B is a Texas institution that has grocery stores in almost every Texas city from 1,000-population hamelts to megalopolii such as Houston.

You cannot drive 5 miles in TX w/o seeing one of these:

**MarketStEl** · 03-09-2009, 10:14 AM

Psst, MM:

San Antonio-based Pace Foods has been a subsidiary of Camden, NJ-based Campbell Soup Company for at least a decade now.

You may recall that Campbell Soup's biggest US manufacturing plant is in Paris, Texas.

The ties run deeper than you think.

**eldondre** · 03-09-2009, 11:51 AM

whatever happened to Randall's?
Phillyaggie, if you move up here, you need to become acquainted with a Pennsylvania bread type, potato bread. potato hot dog rolls are the best, and there's no going back. They also make excellent hamburger bun and regular bread. Martin's is probably my favorite though stroehmann's is more commonly found. That Mrs. Baird's looks like terrible bread.

**phillyaggie** · 03-09-2009, 11:55 AM

HAHA good to see that this thread brought you back to PS, MM.

I actually love to shop at H.E. Butt Grocery Co's "Central Market" locations, which are I suppose the more upscale versions of the regular H-E-Bs and have the look and feel of Whole Foods. There's a Central Market about 2 minutes from my apartment and love to shop there.

Whole Foods, afterall, is a Texas (Austin) based grocer as well, something that perhaps a lot of Philadelphians might not be aware of as they might tend to think of Texas as backwaters.

Now Pace Picante... that'll hopefully always be more Texan than something "made in New York city!"

YouTube - This Stuff's Made In New York City!!! Pace Thick & Chunky

**phillyaggie** · 03-09-2009, 11:58 AM

Originally Posted by eldondre

whatever happened to Randall's?
Phillyaggie, if you move up here, you need to become acquainted with a Pennsylvania bread type, potato bread. potato hot dog rolls are the best, and there's no going back. They also make excellent hamburger bun and regular bread. Martin's is probably my favorite though stroehmann's is more commonly found. That Mrs. Baird's looks like terrible bread.

Randall's is still going strong, specially in Houston area. Its look-alike in Dallas area is called Tom Thumb...everything's the same, except the name. They're both owned now by Safeway.

They sell potato bread here too. Philly area though is known to have great taste in bread so they may have good potato bread makers and sellers.

Pepperidge Farm bread is nationally available and is probably a good bet even in Philly, I imagine. That company's somewhere out of New England.

**eldondre** · 03-09-2009, 12:21 PM

we used to show at WF once in a while in Texas. Has safeway ruined randall's like they did Genuardi's here?
I like some Pepperidge Farms stuff.

**phillyaggie** · 03-09-2009, 12:28 PM

I got used to it, I suppose. But not really, I don't think. Randall's is still a great place to shop for groceries, the stores are well kept, service is always great, and prices are always a bit higher than at competitors but you won't have to throw away any produce because it was getting bad already.

**billy ross** · 03-09-2009, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by phillyaggie

Randall's is still going strong, specially in Houston area. Its look-alike in Dallas area is called Tom Thumb...everything's the same, except the name. They're both owned now by Safeway.

They sell potato bread here too. Philly area though is known to have great taste in bread so they may have good potato bread makers and sellers.

Pepperidge Farm bread is nationally available and is probably a good bet even in Philly, I imagine. That company's somewhere out of New England.

Wrong again, brain surgeon. Try Philly.

**billy ross** · 03-09-2009, 12:43 PM

Originally Posted by phillyaggie

HAHA good to see that this thread brought you back to PS, MM.

I actually love to shop at H.E. Butt Grocery Co's "Central Market" locations, which are I suppose the more upscale versions of the regular H-E-Bs and have the look and feel of Whole Foods. There's a Central Market about 2 minutes from my apartment and love to shop there.

Whole Foods, afterall, is a Texas (Austin) based grocer as well, something that perhaps a lot of Philadelphians might not be aware of as they might tend to think of Texas as backwaters.

Now Pace Picante... that'll hopefully always be more Texan than something "made in New York city!"

YouTube - This Stuff's Made In New York City!!! Pace Thick & Chunky

You must be talking about Flyover America.

**BeBe** · 03-09-2009, 12:47 PM

I only eat fresh-baked bread these days...all the processed stuff seems to have high-fructose corn syrup in it and that MAKE ME ANGRY!

**phillyaggie** · 03-09-2009, 01:02 PM

Originally Posted by billy ross

Wrong again, brain surgeon. Try Philly.

Pepperidge Farm was founded in 1937 by Margaret Rudkin, who named the brand after her family's property in Fairfield, Connecticut, which in turn was named for the pepperidge tree, Nyssa sylvatica. In 1961, the company was purchased by the Campbell Soup Company.

Pepperidge Farm - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You might have a local bakery, but P-Farm is outta CT, though its parent is outta Philly backyard of Camden.

**billy ross** · 03-09-2009, 01:54 PM

Pepperidge Farms has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Campbell Soup Company for my entire life. Campbell's is local; do you know who DoDo Hamilton is? You can't miss the name if you live in Philly and have a functioning brain.

**eldondre** · 03-09-2009, 02:33 PM

phillyaggie, billy ross never got over grace kelly. those east fallsers are loathe to give up the age old philly name dropping (probably the city's worst aspect.)

Genuardi's was a local chain that had local, fresh produce and meats. Safeway came in and changed over to their national distribution system. the drop in quality was noticeable. they are now an average chain. genuardi's was more like an early version of wegman's, though they did get the superstore concept from randall's (when it was independent).

**phillyaggie** · 03-09-2009, 02:33 PM

Originally Posted by billy ross

Pepperidge Farms has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Campbell Soup Company for my entire life. Campbell's is local; do you know who DoDo Hamilton is? You can't miss the name if you live in Philly and have a functioning brain.

How does that matter? Historically, Pepperidge Farm is associated with someplace in CT, not to Philly. Even now, that division of Campbell is based out of Norwalk, CT.

If you notice, someone like MM still associates Mrs. Baird's bread with his roots in Texas, not with anything in Philly though the company is now going to work out of Horsham.

Especially in a post-industrial city with rich local history where locals still take pride in long-gone local names (still have names on buildings for companies that long since passed on), you would think that a company without local roots wouldn't be counted as a local company.

To me, it doesn't matter as much as to a lot of the locals.

Take, for example, the Rohm-Dow merger. If it goes ahead as it likely will, and Rohm & Haas stops being its own company but rather just a subsidiary of a Midland, MI based giant, will Rohm stop being seen by the locals as a local company? Specially if it maintains a local HQ?

I would think the good folks in Norwalk, CT might tell you that Pepperidge Farms is out of their town, and not out of Philly.

**bryson662001** · 03-09-2009, 03:31 PM

Originally Posted by MayfairMeat

OMG Mrs. Barids?!?!?!?!

What's moving to Philadelphia next... Pace picante sauce?

No, phillyaggie of course.

Actually my favorite is Stroehmann, which began in W Virginia but became Wonder and then the Stroehmann family began again in Pennsylvania. It's part of george weston now as well. It has a nice flavor sort of like potato bread. Pepperige farm is too doughy for me.

**billy ross** · 03-09-2009, 05:20 PM

Originally Posted by phillyaggie

How does that matter? Historically, Pepperidge Farm is associated with someplace in CT, not to Philly. Even now, that division of Campbell is based out of Norwalk, CT.

If you notice, someone like MM still associates Mrs. Baird's bread with his roots in Texas, not with anything in Philly though the company is now going to work out of Horsham.

Especially in a post-industrial city with rich local history where locals still take pride in long-gone local names (still have names on buildings for companies that long since passed on), you would think that a company without local roots wouldn't be counted as a local company.

To me, it doesn't matter as much as to a lot of the locals.

Take, for example, the Rohm-Dow merger. If it goes ahead as it likely will, and Rohm & Haas stops being its own company but rather just a subsidiary of a Midland, MI based giant, will Rohm stop being seen by the locals as a local company? Specially if it maintains a local HQ?

I would think the good folks in Norwalk, CT might tell you that Pepperidge Farms is out of their town, and not out of Philly.

A company has many stakeholders. In our capitalistic society the ones who get the most attention are the owners, but they aren't the only stakeholders. I think that an interesting example is Boeing. It was a Seattle company for decades. Supposedly Seattle has ridiculous taxes (sound familiar?), and now their corporate headquarters are in Chicago, but their operations are still in Seattle. Does that make them now a Chicago company? Legally, yes, but in my opinion not really. I am not at all a fan of corporate America, but the particular brand in question has been owned by Campbell's for almost a half-century. Campbell's happens to be an old-school company which takes its corporate responsibilities seriously, and I wasn't name-dropping when I mentioned Dodo. I have no idea what she looks like, I have never met her or even seen a likeness of her, nor heard her voice. However, I have seen her name written down many, many times. She has been incredibly generous with her fortune, and her name is impossible to avoid if you like the arts and other good causes in Philly. She lives in a nice spread on the Main Line, she is personally worth over a billion dollars, and her family still owns over half of Campbell's Soup. When you buy products from Pepperidge Farm, Dodo makes her cut, and she is very generous with her money, giving to many worthy Philly causes. While Pepperidge Farm may have dual citizenship, just as Ford of Europe does, Philly does well when Pepperidge Farms does well.