Mother's Cookies is a food brand currently owned by Italian conglomerate Ferrero Group. Mother Cookies originally started as a bakery based in Oakland, California, that operated from 1914 to 2008.[1][2] A sister company, Archway Cookies of Battle Creek, Michigan, was founded in 1936. Both Mother's Cookies and Archway declared bankruptcy in 2008.[3] At its height, the company distributed cookies throughout the United States, and was one of the leading cookie makers in the country.[4] The Kellogg Company acquired the Mother's Cookies trademark and recipes in December 2008 and brought the brand back to West Coast grocery store shelves on May 14, 2009.[5][6]
Mother's was founded in 1914[7] when N.M. Wheatley, a newspaper vendor, purchased the rights to a cookie recipe from a customer. A year later, Wheatley opened a one-person operation on 12th Avenue in Oakland.[1][8][9] On May 9, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson had issued a proclamation declaring the first national Mother's Day[10][11]
Archway was founded in 1936 by the Swansons, a husband-and-wife team who baked soft-batch cookies in their garage. The Swansons expanded their company nationwide in the 1940s, changing its name to Archway to avoid conflict with Swanson, a maker of frozen dinners. In 1962 the founders sold the company to their vice president, George Markham, who bought most of the franchises back over the next several years.[4] Markham in turn sold the company to two employees, who operated it from 1983 to 1998. The company was sold to Specialty Foods in 1998, reportedly for $100 million.[12][13] The transaction made Specialty Foods the third largest cookie maker in the United States[4][14] after Keebler and Nabisco.[15]
The two companies then went through a succession of owners. Mother's was sold to Artal NV, a Belgian company, then bought by Specialty Foods Corp., a conglomerate formed by Robert Bass, who sold Mother's Cake & Cookie Co. and Archway Cookies to Parmalat S.p.A.[16] Specialty Foods sold Mother's and Archway to an Italian firm, Parmalat Finanziaria in 2000 for $250 million.[17] As of 2002 Mother's was baking 17.5 million cookies per day.[18] Cookie sales began to decline after 2000 due to low-fat and low carb diet trends, although sales improved when the company introduced low fat cookies, and accounted for 10% of the United States cookie market as of late 2004.[14] Parmalat filed for bankruptcy[14] amidst a scandal involving illegal sale of corporate bonds. Parmalat in turn sold the companies to Catterton Partners, a private equity firm in Greenwich, Connecticut, in 2005,[1] The new operators closed the Oakland factory in 2006, laid off all 230 workers,[19] and moved baking operations to Ohio and Canada. The company suffered an accounting scandal in 2008[20] and in October 2008, the company became a victim of the financial crisis of 2007–2010 when the company filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy and laid off all of its workers.[1]
Brand and product returns
In December, 2008, Lance Inc. bought the assets of Archway,[21] and soon reopened the former Archway factory in Ashland, Ohio.[22] Also, the same month Kellogg Company was approved to buy the assets of Mother's Cookies with plans to return the products to the shelves in mid-2009. In May 2009, Mother's Cookies returned to store shelves, including Kellogg's launch of a website for the product.[23] After the return of the Mother's Cookies product line, customers noted changes in the recipes, most notably to the Taffy cookie.[24]
In April 2019, Kellogg's announced the sale of Mother's Cookies, among other brands, to Italian confectioner Ferrero SpA, creators of Nutella.[25]
Products
"Holiday" version of Mother's Circus Animal Cookies
Mother's is known for pink and white iced "Circus Animal Cookies", "Taffy Sandwich Cookies" (original recipe), "Peanut Butter Gauchos", and iced oatmeal cookies.[26][27] Archway's most popular product was Ruth's Oatmeal Cookies, based on a recipe found by one of its franchisees at a county fair, which made up 40% of all sales.[4]
Promotions
The company included collectable baseball cards in their packs of cookies, featuring the Pacific Coast League (1952–53) and several west-coast Major League Baseball teams (1983-2002).[8] Many of those cards were distributed by the teams themselves as promotional stadium giveaways. In the presidential election year of 1992, the company also produced collectable cards featuring the Presidents of the United States.
References
^ abcdGeorge Raine (2008-10-09). "Mother's Cookies abruptly shut down". San Francisco Chronicle. Hearts.
^"Mother's Cookies, O'Boisie Corporation sign distribution agreement". Business Wire (press release). 1996-05-13.
^Mike Nolan (2008-10-09). "Operations Halted:Michigan company has distribution center in Mokena". Chicago Sun Times. Sun-Times.
^Official Gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office: Trademarks. U.S. Department of Commerce, Patent and Trademark Office. 2007. p. 1203. MOTHER'S COOKIES CALIFORNIA ORIGINAL SINCE 1914
^ ab. www.motherscookies.com. Archived from the original on 25 July 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
^ Rice, Susan Tracey and Robert Haven Schauffler (1915). Mother's day: its history, origin, celebration, spirit, and significance as related in prose and verse. Moffat, Yard & company. pp. 3–5. in 1914 Congress passed a law, which Wilson signed on May 8, 1914, 'designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day', and authorizing and requesting that Wilson issue a proclamation 'calling upon the government officials to display the United States flag on all buildings, and the people of the United States to display the flag at their homes or other suitable places on the second Sunday in May as a public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.'
^"Archway Cookies closing in Battle Creek". WOOD TV 8. 2008-10-03.
^"Specialty Foods to Pay $100 Million for Two Companies". New York Times. 1998-10-15.
^ abcRobin Sidel (2003-12-31). "Appetite Is Growing For Parmalat's Archway Cookie Unit". Wall Street Journal.
^Kevin McCoy (2004-01-13). "Parmalat's American workers uneasy, while investors are angry". USA Today.
^. Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on October 22, 2014.
^Chandler, Susan (September 13, 2000). "Specialty Foods Sells Archway Cookies And Mother's Bakery To Italy's Parmalat". Chicago Tribune.
^Alec Rosenberg (2002-06-05). . Oakland Tribune. Archived from the original on 2012-10-14. Retrieved 2008-10-12.
^Tom Abate (2006-04-04). "Mother's Cookies crumbling: Oakland bakery abandoning area where it was born". San Francisco Chronicle.
^Creswell, Julie (May 30, 2009). "Oh, No! What Happened To Archway?". The New York Times.
^Ginger Christ (2008-12-03). "Lance, Inc. approved to buy Archway Cookies, Kelloggs approved by the bankruptcy court to buy Mother's Cookies". Ashland Times-Gazette.
^John King (2008-12-23). "Shuttered bakery reopens, rehires workers". CNN.
^"Iconic Oakland cookie company bought by Nutella's parent company". San Francisco Chronicle. April 1, 2019.
^David Morrill (2008-10-09). "Mother's Cookies closes down". Contra Costa Times.
^Jane Irene Kelly (1998-03-09). "Mother's Cookies Gets Giddy With KB&P West". Adweek.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mother's Cookies.
Official website
March 03, 2023
mother, cookies, food, brand, currently, owned, italian, conglomerate, ferrero, group, mother, cookies, originally, started, bakery, based, oakland, california, that, operated, from, 1914, 2008, sister, company, archway, cookies, battle, creek, michigan, found. Mother s Cookies is a food brand currently owned by Italian conglomerate Ferrero Group Mother Cookies originally started as a bakery based in Oakland California that operated from 1914 to 2008 1 2 A sister company Archway Cookies of Battle Creek Michigan was founded in 1936 Both Mother s Cookies and Archway declared bankruptcy in 2008 3 At its height the company distributed cookies throughout the United States and was one of the leading cookie makers in the country 4 The Kellogg Company acquired the Mother s Cookies trademark and recipes in December 2008 and brought the brand back to West Coast grocery store shelves on May 14 2009 5 6 Mother s CookiesTypePrivate 1914 1998 IndustryFoodFounded1914 109 years ago 1914 FounderN M WheatleyFateDeclared bankruptcy in 2008 becoming a brandOwnerSpecialty Foods 1998 2000 Parmalat 2000 2005 Catterton Partners 2005 2008 Kellog Company 2008 2019 Ferrero SpA 2019 present Websitemotherscookies com Contents 1 History 1 1 Brand and product returns 2 Products 3 Promotions 4 References 5 External linksHistory EditMother s was founded in 1914 7 when N M Wheatley a newspaper vendor purchased the rights to a cookie recipe from a customer A year later Wheatley opened a one person operation on 12th Avenue in Oakland 1 8 9 On May 9 1914 President Woodrow Wilson had issued a proclamation declaring the first national Mother s Day 10 11 Archway was founded in 1936 by the Swansons a husband and wife team who baked soft batch cookies in their garage The Swansons expanded their company nationwide in the 1940s changing its name to Archway to avoid conflict with Swanson a maker of frozen dinners In 1962 the founders sold the company to their vice president George Markham who bought most of the franchises back over the next several years 4 Markham in turn sold the company to two employees who operated it from 1983 to 1998 The company was sold to Specialty Foods in 1998 reportedly for 100 million 12 13 The transaction made Specialty Foods the third largest cookie maker in the United States 4 14 after Keebler and Nabisco 15 Mother s Cookies factory in Oakland California in 2006 The two companies then went through a succession of owners Mother s was sold to Artal NV a Belgian company then bought by Specialty Foods Corp a conglomerate formed by Robert Bass who sold Mother s Cake amp Cookie Co and Archway Cookies to Parmalat S p A 16 Specialty Foods sold Mother s and Archway to an Italian firm Parmalat Finanziaria in 2000 for 250 million 17 As of 2002 Mother s was baking 17 5 million cookies per day 18 Cookie sales began to decline after 2000 due to low fat and low carb diet trends although sales improved when the company introduced low fat cookies and accounted for 10 of the United States cookie market as of late 2004 14 Parmalat filed for bankruptcy 14 amidst a scandal involving illegal sale of corporate bonds Parmalat in turn sold the companies to Catterton Partners a private equity firm in Greenwich Connecticut in 2005 1 The new operators closed the Oakland factory in 2006 laid off all 230 workers 19 and moved baking operations to Ohio and Canada The company suffered an accounting scandal in 2008 20 and in October 2008 the company became a victim of the financial crisis of 2007 2010 when the company filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy and laid off all of its workers 1 Brand and product returns Edit In December 2008 Lance Inc bought the assets of Archway 21 and soon reopened the former Archway factory in Ashland Ohio 22 Also the same month Kellogg Company was approved to buy the assets of Mother s Cookies with plans to return the products to the shelves in mid 2009 In May 2009 Mother s Cookies returned to store shelves including Kellogg s launch of a website for the product 23 After the return of the Mother s Cookies product line customers noted changes in the recipes most notably to the Taffy cookie 24 In April 2019 Kellogg s announced the sale of Mother s Cookies among other brands to Italian confectioner Ferrero SpA creators of Nutella 25 Products Edit Holiday version of Mother s Circus Animal Cookies Mother s is known for pink and white iced Circus Animal Cookies Taffy Sandwich Cookies original recipe Peanut Butter Gauchos and iced oatmeal cookies 26 27 Archway s most popular product was Ruth s Oatmeal Cookies based on a recipe found by one of its franchisees at a county fair which made up 40 of all sales 4 Promotions EditThe company included collectable baseball cards in their packs of cookies featuring the Pacific Coast League 1952 53 and several west coast Major League Baseball teams 1983 2002 8 Many of those cards were distributed by the teams themselves as promotional stadium giveaways In the presidential election year of 1992 the company also produced collectable cards featuring the Presidents of the United States References Edit a b c d George Raine 2008 10 09 Mother s Cookies abruptly shut down San Francisco Chronicle Hearts Mother s Cookies O Boisie Corporation sign distribution agreement Business Wire press release 1996 05 13 Mike Nolan 2008 10 09 Operations Halted Michigan company has distribution center in Mokena Chicago Sun Times Sun Times a b c d Archway Cookies Inc Funding Universe Kellogg Company Acquiring Trademarks and Recipes of Mother s Cake amp Cookie Co Retrieved Dec 3 2008 Mother s Cookies After Kellogg s Purchase Official Gazette of the United States Patent and Trademark Office Trademarks U S Department of Commerce Patent and Trademark Office 2007 p 1203 MOTHER S COOKIES CALIFORNIA ORIGINAL SINCE 1914 a b Our History www motherscookies com Archived from the original on 25 July 2021 Retrieved 17 January 2022 Linda Civitello 2007 Cuisine and Culture p 282 ISBN 978 0 471 74172 5 Today in History May 9 Library of Congress Rice Susan Tracey and Robert Haven Schauffler 1915 Mother s day its history origin celebration spirit and significance as related in prose and verse Moffat Yard amp company pp 3 5 in 1914 Congress passed a law which Wilson signed on May 8 1914 designating the second Sunday in May as Mother s Day and authorizing and requesting that Wilson issue a proclamation calling upon the government officials to display the United States flag on all buildings and the people of the United States to display the flag at their homes or other suitable places on the second Sunday in May as a public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country Archway Cookies closing in Battle Creek WOOD TV 8 2008 10 03 Specialty Foods to Pay 100 Million for Two Companies New York Times 1998 10 15 a b c Robin Sidel 2003 12 31 Appetite Is Growing For Parmalat s Archway Cookie Unit Wall Street Journal Kevin McCoy 2004 01 13 Parmalat s American workers uneasy while investors are angry USA Today Specialty Foods Sells Archway Cookies And Mother s Bakery To Italy s Parmalat Chicago Tribune Archived from the original on October 22 2014 Chandler Susan September 13 2000 Specialty Foods Sells Archway Cookies And Mother s Bakery To Italy s Parmalat Chicago Tribune Alec Rosenberg 2002 06 05 Mother s Facelift Cookie firm not crumbling in face of competition Oakland Tribune Archived from the original on 2012 10 14 Retrieved 2008 10 12 Tom Abate 2006 04 04 Mother s Cookies crumbling Oakland bakery abandoning area where it was born San Francisco Chronicle Creswell Julie May 30 2009 Oh No What Happened To Archway The New York Times Ginger Christ 2008 12 03 Lance Inc approved to buy Archway Cookies Kelloggs approved by the bankruptcy court to buy Mother s Cookies Ashland Times Gazette John King 2008 12 23 Shuttered bakery reopens rehires workers CNN Mother s Cookies website 41 Results Mothers Taffy Cookies Changed Iconic Oakland cookie company bought by Nutella s parent company San Francisco Chronicle April 1 2019 David Morrill 2008 10 09 Mother s Cookies closes down Contra Costa Times Jane Irene Kelly 1998 03 09 Mother s Cookies Gets Giddy With KB amp P West Adweek External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mother s Cookies Official website Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Mother 27s Cookies amp oldid 1138153400, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
