Flowers Foods is headquartered in Thomasville, Ga; they are a leading producer and marketer of packaged bakery foods in the United States. The company operates 44 highly efficient bakeries that produce breads, buns, rolls, snack cakes, and pastries, which are distributed fresh to foodservice and retail customers in the Southeastern, Southwestern, and mid-Atlantic states and frozen to national foodservice and retail customers.
Some of their top brands include Nature's Own, White Wheat, Cobblestone Mill, Tasykake and ButterKrust. Nature's Own produces whole grain bread, along with Honey Wheat and 100% Wheat. They offer breads that have 40 calories per slice and come in a variety of flavors. Their website gives consumers recipes that are healthy along with allowing them to create their own food calendar which is quite user friendly. One can just click on the option they do not wish to have in their meal along with accepting the ones they want. The website will than email the consumer their meal calendar.
Flowers Foods is currently bidding on trying to obtain the Hostess brand however Forbes stated that on March 4, 2013 that the government rejected their highest bid due to the fact that buyers would be improperly released from liabilities and regulations to comply with environmental laws.
The company reported their fourth quarter 2012 sales results on February 7, 2013. Their sales increased by 14.7% and their sales for the year increased 9.8%.
The company hopes to purchase the Hostess brand along with obtaining a plant in Biddeford which was closed down and put 350 jobs in jeopardy. Workers are hoping Flowers Foods is able to successfully purchase the brand so the plant can re open. With Flowers sales currently increasing, they will be able to produce products at a steady pace to ensure that consumers will get what they want, when they want it. It will also allow workers to stay employed; the economy has caused thousands of people working in the food industry to lose their jobs.
Hostess filed for bankruptcy back in November due to strikes that occurred at many of their plants. Flowers may have been rejected once but the company should easily obtain Hostess; they have the funds and the quick production resources.