History
In 1919, brothers William Howard and Joseph Hampton Flowers opened Flowers Baking Company in Thomasville, Georgia. The bakery met with success, and began to ship its products to the surrounding communities. In 1937, the company acquired a bakery in Tallahassee, Florida, marking the start of a history of growth by acquisition. In 1944, Flowers became the 6th bakery in the U.S. to franchise Quality Bakers of America’s Sunbeam brand and Little Miss Sunbeam for its white bread. In 1968, the company became Flowers Industries, and began trading over-the-counter stock. Less than a year later, Flowers listed on the American Stock Exchange. In 1982, the company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol FLO. In the mid-1990s, it acquired the Keebler Company and Mrs. Smith's Pies. In 2001, Flowers sold its investment in Keebler to the Kellogg Company and delivered $1.24 billion to its shareholders. Flowers’ remaining business units, Flowers Bakeries and Mrs. Smith’s Bakeries, were then spun off into a new company called Flowers Foods. In 2003, Flowers Foods sold its Mrs. Smith’s frozen dessert business to the Schwan Food Company. In 2008, it acquired ButterKrust Bakery in Lakeland, Florida, and merged with Holsum Bakery in Phoenix.
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