Dawn Food Products, Inc.
Company typePrivate
IndustryFood products
Founded1920; 104 years ago (1920)
Headquarters
Jackson, Michigan
,
United States
Area served
International
Key people
Carrie Jones-Barber, CEO
John Schmitz, president (North America)[1][2]
Steven Verweij, president (Europe, AMEAP)
Emilio Castillo, president (Latin America)
ProductsBread, ingredients
Revenue~$1.25bn (2006)[3]
Number of employees
5,000 (2019)[4]
Websitewww.dawnfoods.com

Dawn Foods (originally called the Dawn Donut Company) is an American wholesale manufacturer and distributor of breads, baked goods, mixes, and other food products. The company is based in Jackson, Michigan[5] and operates globally.[6]

History

Prior to 1920, the bakery in Jackson, Michigan was known as Century Bakery; it was purchased by Grover Lutz and Eugene Worden in 1920,[7][8] who expanded and renamed it the Dawn Donut Company.[9] It produced a donut mix which proved successful and brought the company customers from across the Midwest. The mix was sold in 100 lb bags and 200 lb barrels, delivered by rail or horse.[10] Dawn was the first industrial bakery mix company in the United States.[7]

Dawn was greatly affected by the Great Depression and later by rationing during World War II, and as a result its operations in the 1930s and 1940s were much smaller than during the 1920s.[10]

In 1935, Marlin Jones began working at Dawn as a bookkeeper;[10] over the next two decades, he and his wife Evelyne saved money, and in 1955 Jones borrowed the rest needed to purchase Dawn[3][9] for approximately $600,000.[10] Under the Jones' ownership, the company expanded during the 1950s and 1960s. In 1957, Dawn was worth over $1M[10] and the company purchased Baker Perkins's automated donut machine division. The same year, Marlin's son Ron began working for Dawn as an accountant, and siblings Miles and Steven joined in 1967 and 1968 respectively. The company patented an automatic donut turnover icing machine in 1966, and formed subsidiary Dawn Equipment Company the same year.

Dawn Donut Company was officially renamed Dawn Food Products in 1978. By 1982, when Marlin Jones died, the company's annual revenue was $40m.[10] Dawn purchased Bessire & Company's icing production facilities in 1982, and purchased Denver-based distributor Western Bakers Supply in 1985.

Through a partnership with the Torigoe Company, Dawn expanded to Japan in 1979; it later established a manufacturing plant in Evesham, United Kingdom in 1989. The company founded its Dawn Foods International division in 1997.

In 2002, Dawn acquired Canadian mix manufacturer CSP Foods from Saskatchewan Wheat Pool for CAD$35M.[11] In 2003, the company purchased Bunge Limited's North American operations for $76M.[12] Dawn Foods moved its headquarters to a larger location in Jackson – the former Jacobson's headquarters – in 2004.[13] Dawn saw an annual revenue of $2B in 2006.[10]

Ron, Miles, and Steven Jones were inducted into AIB International's Baking Hall of Fame in 2007.[3]

Current operations

The company operates sixteen distribution centers in North America. As of 2020, the CEO is Carrie Jones-Barber; she has worked at Dawn since 1985. Notable clients include Krispy Kreme, Starbucks, and WW International.[3]

Dawn Foods publishes a quarterly magazine, Batter Up.[14]

Locations

Offices

Manufacturing

As of 2020, Dawn Foods operates manufacturing facilities in 57 locations.[10]

Acquisitions

References

  1. ^ a b DesOrmeau, Taylor (December 26, 2019). "Dawn Foods hires Land O'Lakes VP as next president". mlive.com. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  2. ^ "The Dawn Leadership Team". Dawn Foods. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d Roberts, K. (January 1, 2008). "Corporate Citizen of the Year: Dawn Foods". mlive.com. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  4. ^ a b Bamford, Vince (October 8, 2019). "Interview: Dawn Foods CEO Carrie Jones-Barber". British Baker. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  5. ^ "Dawn Food Products Inc". Bloomberg. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  6. ^ The Grand Rapids Press, MLive.com (August 26, 2017). "Center combines baking art and science for Michigan company". AP News. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  7. ^ a b "Family Company". Dawn Foods. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  8. ^ Baron, Jeanne (March 12, 2012). "Dawn Foods CEO to discuss global business challenges". WMU News. Western Michigan University. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  9. ^ a b "Dawn Food Products, Inc". Iconic Jackson: 8–12. October 2019. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h Hall, April (March 2020). "At the Dawn of a New Century". Family Business. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  11. ^ a b "SaskPool sells CSP Foods division". The Globe and Mail. February 26, 2002. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  12. ^ a b "Dawn Food Products, Inc. Completes Acquisition Of Bunge Foods Bakery Division". Bakery Online. January 2, 2004. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  13. ^ Smith, Leanne (January 19, 2019). "Peek Through Time: Delectable doughnuts right mix for success at Dawn Foods". mlive.com. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
  14. ^ Peckenpaugh, Douglas J. (June 8, 2018). "Q&A with Dawn Foods on indulgence and clean label trend". Snack Food and Wholesale Bakery. Retrieved 8 September 2020.
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