Milling & Baking News - July 27, 2004 - 9

B U S I N E S S

Interstate Bakeries to shutter
Holsum Bakery in Louisiana
MONROE, LA. - Interstate Bakeries
Corp. said last week it will shutter its
Holsum Bakery in Monroe on Sept. 17.
The bakery, built in 1952, bakes white
bread that is distributed in northern
Louisiana, southern Arkansas, eastern
Texas and western Mississippi. The

bakery distributes the bread primarily
under the Holsum brand.
I.B.C. said 53 employes will be affected by the closing, many of whom
are expected to transfer to other baking
plants.
Despite the bakery closing, I.B.C. said

it will continue to run a regional distribution center, route trucks and thrift
stores in Monroe.
In May, I.B.C., which owns 62 baking
plants in the United States, closed a plant
in San Pedro, Calif. In the company's
recently completed third quarter, I.B.C.
reported $1.46 million in charges related
to closings and restructurings of bakeries and thrift-store locations initiated in
the past two years. MBN

Another production line to be
eliminated at Sara Lee plant
FORT PAYNE, ALA. - The steady dismantling of the Sara Lee Bakery Group baking
plant in Fort Payne continued last week
with the announcement that the plant's
donut line will be sold.
Matt Hall, a company spokesperson, said a
co-packing arrangement with a single customer accounted for the vast majority of donut production at the plant. The customer has decided
to take the production in-house and is buying
the donut line equipment from Sara Lee.
As a result of the move, 65 full-time positions

will be eliminated at the Fort Wayne plant. The
cuts will reduce the plant's workforce to 240,
down from 800 just over a year ago.
Since June 2003, Sara Lee has discontinued production on a bagel line, honey bun
line, roll line, croissant line, cake line, hearth
bread line and specialty bread line.
Mr. Hall would not disclose the buyer
of the donut line, but published reports
indicated it is McKee Foods Corp., Collegedale, Tenn. The line will be closed at Fort
Payne by Sept. 17. After that, the plant will

Panera to develop restaurants in
Colorado, Georgia, South Carolina
ST. LOUIS - Panera Bread Co. said last
week it has signed agreements
for the development of 27 Panera
Bread bakery-cafes in Colorado,
Georgia and South Carolina.
Southern Bread, L.L.C., led by
principals Richard Connolly and
David Smith, has secured the rights
to develop 12 bakery-cafes in parts
of eastern Georgia, including the
Augusta and Savannah markets,
and central and southern South Carolina,
including the Columbia, Charleston and Hilton Head markets. The first two bakery-cafes
will open by the end of 2005.
The Colorado franchisee is Breads of the
World. Its principals, Ken Rosenthal, Jeff
Rains and Doron Berger, signed an agreement granting development rights for 15
additional bakery-cafes in counties contiguous to their present Denver market, including the Boulder, Colo., market.
"Both groups have track records of success
in our industry that will help us continue to
execute our growth strategy and introduce the
Panera Bread experience in new and expanded markets," said Ron Shaich, chairman and
chief executive officer, Panera Bread. "We look
forward to sharing in their future success."
The parties involved in the bakery-cafe
development plans have ties to the food
industry. Mr. Connolly and Mr. Smith are
bakingbusiness.com / world-grain.com

business partners in several ventures, including real estate development
in South Carolina. Mr. Connolly
is a former Burger King franchisee
who started with one restaurant
with 40 employes in 1979 and
grew his business to 11 restaurants and 450 employes. Since
selling his franchise in 1998, he
has been involved in residential
and commercial property development in South Carolina and Texas.
"During this time, I never stopped
searching for a restaurant brand that allowed me to wear the logo with a sense of
pride, someone I could partner with that

be down to just a single production line - a
wide pan bread line.
The sale of the donut line places the future of
the Fort Payne plant in doubt. "It's definitely a
large question," Mr. Hall said. "We need to look
at the remaining line and determine whether it
makes sense. There is a lot of overhead cost at
Fort Payne for a one-line baking plant."
Besides Fort Payne, wide pan variety
bread also is baked at Sara Lee plants in
Paris, Texas; Stockton, Calif.; and Milwaukee.
Production from the hearth bread and cake
lines closed at Fort Payne earlier this year was
shifted to the Paris baking plant. Mr. Hall did
not comment on whether such a shift would
be possible for the wide pan bread. MBN

shared the same values regarding people
and products that I have had throughout
my career," Mr. Connolly said. "I know I
have found this with Panera Bread."
Mr. Rosenthal founded the forerunner of
Panera Bread Co., Saint Louis Bread Co., in
1987 after more than 17 years in the retail apparel industry. He sold the company to Au
Bon Pain, Inc. in 1993. He currently operates
45 Panera Bread bakery-cafes in the Denver;
Columbus and Cincinnati, Ohio, markets.
"The 15 additional bakery-cafes to which
we have committed not only represent
deeper penetration in our original Colorado
market and new development opportunities in contiguous counties, but also reflect
our deep belief in the Panera Bread concept," Mr. Rosenthal said. "We anticipate an
eventual build out to 55 bakery-cafes in this
expanded Colorado market." MBN

Sparks Cos. changes name to
Informa Economics, Inc.
MEMPHIS - Sparks Cos., Inc. has
changed its name to Informa Economics, Inc.
Upon Sparks' acquisition by T&F Informa Group P.L.C. in December 2003, the
company's focus and activities expanded
and grew globally. The name change is a
reflection of that new global role, said Bruce
Scherr, president and chief executive officer.

Informa Economics operates as part
of T&F Informa Group's AGRA Informa
Division.
"The integration of Informa Economics'
analytical capabilities and decision consulting with the AGRA Division of T&F
Informa creates an unparalleled new information and consulting force in globabl
agriculture and food," Mr. Scherr said. MBN

Milling & Baking News, July 27, 2004 / 9

http://www.bakingbusiness.com http://www.world-grain.com

Milling & Baking News - July 27, 2004

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Milling & Baking News - July 27, 2004