Angelic Bakehouse, Inc.
Address: 3275 E. Layton Ave., Cudahy
Year founded: 1969
Product or service offered: Angelic Bakehouse produces a full line of GMO-free, sprouted grain baked goods that are both nutritious and delicious. Our goal is to bake the highest quality breads, buns, rolls and specialty items, including our Flatzza crusts, which are nutritionally superior but never sacrifice the taste and pure enjoyment of daily bread.
Projected 2014 revenue: More than $5 million
CEO and president: Jenny Marino
Other key members of the leadership team: James Marino, chief operating officer
Target clientele: Health-conscious moms and families. Heads of household that are focused on nutrition, wellness and fitness. Those who want to eat well but are not willing to sacrifice on taste.
Business organization memberships: MMAC, FaB Wisconsin, Visit Milwaukee, South Shore Chamber of Commerce, International Deli Dairy Bakery Association, National Women’s Business Enterprise Certification, Specialty Food Association
What has fueled your company’s growth? “Our growth has really been twofold. The first piece is that we took a little known company making a great product in the Milwaukee area for almost 45 years and gave it a major facelift. Re-branding, upgrading ingredient quality, infusing marketing dollars, and making key hires has allowed us to grow exponentially in the past five years. Second, the market for what we do has exploded. The consumer’s demand for pure, all natural, real food, with transparent ingredients, in addition to the ever-growing GMO-free and organic movements, continue to fuel our growth.”
What is the biggest obstacle to your company’s growth? “Probably capital. We have chosen to grow organically without accepting investments that could accelerate our growth.”
Do you plan to make any changes in your company in the coming months? “After a year full of changes and new developments, we are happy to take a break from major internal projects. We completed construction of a brand new, state-of-the-art facility in Cudahy this past December, and our main focus now is to fill our lines to capacity, build out our sales force and add new accounts. Additionally, we love playing in the kitchen, and are constantly dreaming up new products…stay tuned, we have some fun ones coming your way.”
Who are the business people, locally or nationally, whom you admire? And what traits do those people exhibit that make you admire them? “I think we most admire the all-American entrepreneur. Having grown up in families where our fathers owned and operated their own businesses, the ‘whatever it takes’ motto is deeply ingrained in us, and we see this in others every time we hit the road. We understand this more and more with every passing day, and have a deep respect and admiration for the sacrifices we now know our parents made, and for all those out there doing the same.”
What is the outlook for the business conditions of your industry over the next several months? “For our industry, natural foods, the conditions could not look better. As the public continues to demand to know where its food is coming from and what is in it, and with government now getting involved, the demand for all-natural, GMO-free products like Angelic’s is ever increasing. With new requirements from grocers like Whole Foods to be totally GMO-free by the end of 2018, this is just the beginning of a larger movement that others will surely follow. We are proud to be ahead of the curve.”
What is your company’s most important growth strategy right now? “Sales, sales, sales – continuing to build a team that can take us to the next level in both retail and food service accounts. Building brand awareness through in-store trials, social media, robust marketing and making Angelic Bakehouse a national name.”
