About Flowers - Flowers Foods

Flowers Foods is a leader in the U.S. baking industry

For more than 100 years, the people of Flowers Foods have worked with honesty, integrity, and a true passion for baking. Headquartered in Thomasville, Georgia, since the Flowers family opened its first bakery there in 1919, Flowers Foods is one of the largest baking companies in the United States. Our 46 highly efficient bakeries produce a wide range of delicious bakery foods under trusted, best-selling brands like Nature’s Own, Dave’s Killer Bread, Wonder, Canyon Bakehouse, and Tastykake. Flowers Foods is publicly traded on the NYSE under the ticker symbol FLO.

Bakeries in 19 States

9,200

Employees

$4.8B

2022 Sales

In U.S. Packaged Bakery Foods

FRESH. FORWARD. FLOWERS.

This is an exciting time for Flowers Foods as we become a more agile, automated, and insights-driven company focused on delighting our consumers with delicious baked foods. Throughout our company, we are making fundamental changes in how we think about our business and in how we work – with new digital tools, a creative mindset, and innovative bakery foods.

We are not only renewing our commitment to our brands, bakeries, and processes; we also are investing in our team so they can grow and reach their professional potential in an environment that fosters diversity and inclusion. This team development is one of our key strategic priorities. Our other priorities are grounded in nurturing our brands, prioritizing margins, and seeking out smart acquisitions – all of which we believe will drive growth and shareholder value in the years ahead.

“Fresh. Forward. Flowers. Three simple words – but they convey the excitement and potential of Flowers Foods. It’s who we are now and what we want to become. Fresh approaches for delighting our consumers. Forward thinking, with a bold new vision for our future, and new, better ways to achieve our goals. Fresh. Forward. Flowers. reminds us that to make our future happen, we must bring a creative mindset to our work and our relationship with our consumers.”

Ryals McMullian, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Our History

1919

Brothers William Howard and Joseph Hampton Flowers, Jr. open Flowers Baking Co. in Thomasville, Ga. Bakery sold 500 loaves on first day.

1923

Introduces sweet rolls and cake to product line.

1927

Ad that ran in the Thomasville Times-Enterprise.

1937

Makes first acquisition – Tally Maid Bakery, Tallahassee, Fla.

1942

Joins Quality Bakers of America and franchises the Sunbeam brand.

1968

Flowers Baking Co. becomes Flowers Industries, listing as FLO in over-the-counter market. A year later, FLO lists on the American Stock Exchange.

1970

Enters canned convenience foods with acquisition of Douglas Foods* in Georgia. (*Later divested)

1976

Enters frozen fruits and vegetables with acquisition of Stilwell Foods* in Oklahoma. (*Later divested)

1977

Debuts Nature’s Own, a line of soft variety breads with whole grain options and no artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors.

1978

Brands company with new logo.

1980

Introduces BeeBo snack cakes.

1982

Lists on New York Stock Exchange under the symbol FLO. More than 10 million shares are sold the first day.

1983

Enters the cookie category with acquisition of Jack’s Cookie Co.* in North Carolina. (*Later Divested)

1983

Introduces Cobblestone Mill specialty breads.

1983

Makes Fortune Magazine’s 500 List for the first time, ranking 470.

1985

Enters frozen baked foods market with acquisition of Table Pride frozen biscuit company in Chamblee, Ga.

1985

Enters salty snacks with acquisition of Mitchum’s Potato Chips* in North Carolina. (*Later divested)

1986

Acquires European Bakers, a bakery making frozen hearth-baked breads, buns, and rolls, in Georgia.

1991

Introduces Whitewheat, a bread with the taste and texture of white bread and the nutrition of wheat.

1992

Brings three “new generation” bakeries online, featuring computerized equipment operated by bakery technicians.

1994

Begins test marketing Mi Casa, a line of fresh flour and corn tortillas.

1994

Introduces Mrs. Freshley’s snack cakes to vending machines.

1995

Company sales reach $1 billion mark.

1996

Acquires Keebler Foods through joint venture.

1996

Acquires Mrs. Smith’s frozen dessert brand.

1998

Acquires majority interest in Keebler Foods.

1998

Completes extensive remodeling of Thomasville bakery, which has been in continuous operation since 1919.

2001

Sells Keebler Foods to Kellogg and delivers $1.24 billion to shareholders; spins off to shareholders a new company called Flowers Foods.

2003

Sells Mrs. Smith’s pie business to Schwann’s and refocuses on core fresh bakery category; becomes the first wholesale commercial baker to introduce a bread with lower carbs.

2006

Acquires 139-year-old Derst Baking Co. in Savannah, Ga.

2008

Acquires Holsum Baking in Arizona, opening up the California market for Flowers’ fresh bread brands.

2011

Acquires Tasty Baking Co. in Philadelphia and its iconic Tastykake snack cake brand.

2012

Enters Northeast U.S. with acquisition of Lepage Bakeries in Auburn, Maine.

2012

Expands further in the West with acquisition of certain assets in California, including rights to Sara Lee in that market.

2013

Acquires 20 closed bakeries and Wonder, Merita, Home Pride, and Butternut bread brands from the former Hostess Brands.

2013

Rebrands Cobblestone Bread Co., a line of restaurant-quality specialty breads and rolls.

2015

Extends reach into organic bakery category with acquisitions of Dave’s Killer Bread in Oregon, the #1 organic bread brand in the country.

2017

Initiates “Project Centennial,” a multi-year plan to deliver greater shareholder value and growth.

2018

Acquires Canyon Bakehouse, the fastest-growing gluten-free bread brand in the country. CBH offers gluten-free breads, buns, bagels, English muffins, and specialty items.

2019

Celebrates 100 years of baking strong.

2021

Introduces new logo and updated mission, vision, and values.