United States Bakery, better known as Franz Family Bakeries, is a bread and pastry manufacturer headquartered in Portland, Oregon. Franz Bakery was founded in 1906. U.S. Bakery also owns the Northwest regional bread brands Williams', Gai's, and Snyder's.
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food processing |
| Founded | 1906 |
| Founders | Engelbert Franz Joe Franz |
| Headquarters | Portland, Oregon U.S. |
| Website | franzbakery.com |
History
In collaboration with Engelbert Franz of Franz Bakery, W.P. Yaw of Yaw's Top Notch Restaurant invented the 5-inch (130 mm) diameter hamburger bun in the late 1920s.[1] Though others are credited with creating a bread product to use for the first hamburgers known to the world, Franz is credited for inventing the hamburger bun in its current worldwide accepted form.[2]
Acquisitions
United States Bakery has a long history of growth through acquisition.[3]
| Date | Company |
|---|---|
| 1906 | Ann Arbor Bakery, Portland Oregon |
| 1907 | United States Bakery (namesake), Portland Oregon |
| 1976 | Buttercup Bakery, Gresham Oregon |
| 1977 | Pioneer Bakery, Bend Oregon |
| 1979 | Snyder's Bakery, Yakima Washington |
| 1980 | Langendorf Bakery, Portland Oregon |
| 1981 | Smith Bakery, Salem Oregon |
| 1985 | Boge Bakery, Spokane Washington |
| 1991 | Williams' Bakery, Eugene Oregon |
| 1994 | Smith Cookie Company, McMinnville Oregon |
| 1997 | Gai's Bakery, Seattle Washington[4] |
| 2010 | Harvest Classic Bakery, Nampa Idaho |
| 2013 | Sweetheart, Eddy's, Standish Farms, and Grandma Emilie's brands from Hostess Brands |
| 2017 | United Grocers bakery facility, Los Angeles, California |
| 2019 | Rocky Mountain Bread Company and Dunford Bakers, Salt Lake City, Utah |
| 2019 | Svenhards Swedish Baker, Exeter, California |
| 2021 | Love's Bakery, Honolulu, Hawaii |
In 2006, the Williams' factory, which had operated on the same site near the University of Oregon (UO) since 1908, was closed and the site sold to UO, which eventually built its current basketball venue, Matthew Knight Arena at that location.[5][6] Williams' relocated to a new plant in the Glenwood area of neighboring Springfield.[6] It was the first new bakery the firm had built from the ground up since 1906.[7]
In 2013, United States Bakery paid $28.85 million for Hostess' Sweetheart, Eddy's, Standish Farms, and Grandma Emilie's brands.[8]
Guinness World Record
In July 2006, Franz baked a hot dog bun 104 feet 9.5 inches (31.941 m) long, breaking the Guinness World Record for the World's longest hot dog. The previous record was just over 57 feet (17 m) and set in 2005.[9]
See also
References
External links
- Franz Family Bakeries (official website)
- United States Bakery profile from Hoover's
- Historic images of Franz Bakery from Salem Public Library