McKee Foods
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| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Food processing |
| Headquarters | Collegedale, Tennessee, USA |
| Key people | O.D. McKee,[1] Mike McKee, Rusty McKee, Angie McKee, Ellsworth McKee, Jack McKee, Cole Smith |
| Products | Little Debbie snacks cereals granola bars |
| Employees | 5,800 (As of September 2012[update][2] |
| Website | www.mckeefoods.com |
McKee Foods Corporation is a privately held United States snack food manufacturer headquartered in Collegedale, Tennessee.[3] The corporation is the maker of the Little Debbie brand, Sunbelt granola and cereal, and Heartland.
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History [edit]
![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} |
This section requires expansion. (May 2013) |
The company founded by O.D. McKee, who as of 2012 remains as the company's chairman.[2]
It was announced January 28, 2013, that McKee Foods would pay $27.5 million dollars for Hostess Brands' Drake's brand, which includes Ring Dings, Yodels, and Devil Dogs products.[4]
As of 2013, McKee ships more than 800 million cartons of Little Debbie products.[5]
Brands [edit]
Little Debbie [edit]
Little Debbie products
Little Debbie products are primarily cookie and cake based dessert snacks. They come in dozens of varieties, including the top-selling Swiss Cake Rolls, Nutty Bars, Cosmic Brownies and Oatmeal Creme Pies.[6] Little Debbie products are available in most discount, grocery, and convenience stores, both in boxes and individual wrappings.
In the 1960s,[dubious ] company founders O.D. and Ruth McKee decided to name a product after one of their grandchildren, four-year-old Debbie. The original image of Debbie used on packaging and advertising was based on a black-and-white photo. Artist Fred W. Hunt of Atlanta created the original color artwork based on a photo O.D. had in his pocket of Little Debbie with a pony. In discussing what he wanted for a logo, he pulled out the small photo and said, "Something like this." Minor changes were made to the logo in 1985 and again in 2013.[5]
The Little Debbie brand sponsored the Wood Brothers #21 Ford Fusion for several years in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. The brand switched to the #47 JTG Daugherty Racing team in 2009 season. From sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, the Little Debbie logos are covered or removed, and the crew wears non-Little Debbie attire as a condition of sponsorship because McKee Foods was founded and is run by owners who are Seventh-day Adventists.[7]
Sunbelt [edit]
Sunbelt products include a variety of granola bars and cereals.
Bakeries [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ "McKee Foods Corporation - About our Company". McKeeFoods.com. Retrieved 2012-11-17.
- ^ a b Smith, Ellis (September 15, 2012). "Little Debbie's Dad to sell Ooltewah mansion". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved 2013-05-13. "Today, his privately held company employs some 5,800 workers, producing more than 160 types of snacks for the North America market. McKee is semi-retired now, serving as company chairman."
- ^ "Corporate Fact Sheet." McKee Foods. Retrieved on November 17, 2012. "Street address: 10260 McKee Road Collegedale, TN 37315"
- ^ "Stock Market & Financial Investment News". The fly on the Wall. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
- ^ a b c "The Little Debbie logo gets a makeover". Modern Baking. May 8, 2013. Retrieved 2013-05-13. "Here are some of the changes that have been made to the Little Debbie logo:
- Little Debbie's auburn hair is darker and has fewer curls.
- She's wearing a more updated plaid shirt with a rounded "Peter Pan collar." (She wore a lace-embroidered pointed collar before.)
- She's still wearing the straw hat, but the hat string–which is called a "stampede string"–was removed.
- The red ribbon, with the name Little Debbie on it, also now has a more contemporary style."
- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". Littledebbie.com. Retrieved 2012-11-17.
- ^ "Jayski's NASCAR Silly Season Site - Sprint Cup Team News and Links - #47". Retrieved 29 October 2010. "Little Debbie sponsorship note: The #47 team primary sponsor, Little Debbie snacks, is run by Seventh Day Adventists. From sundown Friday till sundown Saturday, the team has to cover all Little Debbie logos on the hauler, wear non-Little Debbie attire and remove all Little Debbie decal from the race car. (Autoweek, 3-16-2006)"
