Schwebel's Bakery

Infobox Company
company_name = Schwebel's Bread
company_
company_type = Breads and buns
foundation = 1906
founder = Joseph and Dora Schwebel
location_city = Youngstown, Ohio
location_country = United States
location = Youngstown, Ohio
company_slogan = If it's not Schwebel's, don't eat it!, Youngstown Born, Youngstown Bread
mascot = Happy the Clown, Toasti
homepage = http://www.schwebels.com/

Schwebel's Bakery is a major regional producer of bread and other baked goods that was established in Youngstown, Ohio, in the early 20th century.

History

The Schwebel's brand was created by Joseph Schwebel and Dora Schwebel, a married couple that started baking bread in Campbell, Ohio, in 1906. The Schwebels eventually began to sell bread to customers in nearby Youngstown, an event which marks the official beginning of the Schwebel's Bakery.cite web | url = http://www.schwebels.com/index.asp | title = Schwebel Bakery Homepage | publisher = Schwebel Baking Company | accessdate = 2007-11-09]

Eventually, Schwebel's expanded its distribution to areas beyond Youngstown and relied on horses and wagons to transport their products.

In 1914, Schwebel's entered into agreements with several stores throughout Ohio. These agreements benefited both area market owners and the Schwebel's Bakery, given that customers would no longer have to wait for their purchases to arrive but simply procured Schwebel's bread at their local market. By 1923, Schwebel's secured its first fleet of trucks, with six vehicles on hand. That same year, Joseph and Dora Schwebel decided to invest USD25,000 to build an operations center from which they could sell and distribute Schwebel's bread.

Joseph Schwebel died in 1928, leaving Dora Schwebel as the sole owner and president of Schwebel's Bakery.

Crisis and triumph

Dora Schwebel faced many challenges during the late 1920s and 1930s. Some of these owed to stereotypical perceptions about a woman's ability to lead a growing company. But, she was also forced to deal with the economic difficulties that came in the wake of the 1929 stock market crash. With six children to raise, Dora Schwebel made deals with other companies and struggled to keep Schwebel's alive. In 1936, she added a second production and sales center.

The 1940s were a productive period for Schwebel's Bakery. Women served as substitutes for male workers, who were drafted into military service during World War II, and found themselves with less time to prepare meals for their children. Hence, Schwebel's bread became increasingly popular among women in the Midwest. When American men returned from the war in great numbers, they fueled the growing market for Schwebel's products.

In 1951, Dora Schwebel and her children opened what they called their "million dollar bakery", in Youngstown.

Expansion

By 1967, Schwebel's introduced its "Golden Rich Bread" brand, which was copyrighted and licensed to be sold across the nation. The 1970s saw Schwebel's distribution centers open in Canton, as well as in Cleveland and Pittsburgh, the latter becoming the first Schwebel's distribution center located outside of Ohio.

Beginning in 1982, Schwebel's became the official bread company of Disney World's Epcot Center. Other important customers added during that decade were Stouffer's and Pillsbury. Meanwhile, operation centers were opened in Columbus and Buffalo.

Currently, Schwebel's continues to distribute bread from operation centers in Youngstown and elswhere to supermarkets and other outlets across the country.

References