Mrs. Smith's Pies (a.k.a. Mrs. Smith's Bakeries) is one of the largest frozen pie brands in the United States.
History The company was founded by Amanda Smith, a homemaker from Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Her son Robert P. started selling slices of Amanda's own deep-dish, fruit-filled pies door-to-door, and at the local YMCA lunch counter. Later he added a mobile route and a small store. The demand for her pies led to the formation of the company "Mrs. Smith's Delicious Home Made Pies, Inc." in 1925.Van Atta, Burr (22 May 1986). Robert Smith, Mrs. Smith's Pie Co. Founder, Philadelphia Inquirer There were four Mrs. Smith's Pies bakeries serving the Northeast United States by 1930, including two bakeries in Pennsylvania: one in York, and one in the Logan neighborhood of Philadelphia. There were also two Mid-Atlantic bakeries located in Silver Spring, Maryland, and Portsmouth, Virginia.
The company began producing frozen pies in 1952, five years after Amanda Smith died.Downey, Sally A. (15 November 2010). Robert C. Smith, 85, chairman of pie firm, Philadelphia Inquirer Amanda's grandson Robert C. Smith (d. 2010) held various executive positions at the company before being named president in 1972. The company went public in May 1972.Sikora, Martin J. (25 February 1976). Frozen Pies and Corn Flakes: Mrs. Smtih, Kellogg Co. Are Merging, Evening Independent (Knight Newspapers copy)
In 1976, the Kellogg Company purchased Mrs. Smith's Pies for $56 million.Steinbreder, H. John. HOW KING KELLOGG BEAT THE BLAHS Fortune (August 29, 1988). Retrieved on 7-18-09. Kellogg's sold its bakery division to The J.M. Smucker Co. in 1994 for $84 million.(23 November 1995). Smucker, Profits Off, Is Selling Its Mrs. Smith's Frozen Pie Line, The New York Times (Bloomberg Business News copy) In May 1996, after a deal to sell the unit to ConAgra fell through, Smucker sold it to Flowers Foods.(2 May 1996). Thomasville's Flowers to buy Mrs. Smith's pies, Albany Herald (Associated Press copy) In 2003, the brand was purchased by the Schwan Food Company. The Mrs. Smith's Pies plant in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, served as a landmark and significant employer for the better part of the twentieth century. Today, the plant is used to manufacture Mrs. Smith's pie tins. However, the main pie plant was razed to make way for a residential development. Following the closure of the Pottstown pie facility in 1998, production of Mrs. Smith's pies was relocated to Stilwell, Oklahoma.
References
External links Official site