Merita Breads facts for kids
Merita is a brand of tasty breads. It was first made by a company called Hostess Brands. Now, another company named Flowers Foods makes it. You can find Merita breads in the Southeastern United States.
Hostess Brands stopped making Merita bread on November 16, 2012. This happened because of a strike by the bakers' union. The company said the strike made it too hard to continue. However, union workers said the company had been managed poorly for a long time.
On January 11, 2013, Flowers Foods bought the Merita brand from Hostess.
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How Merita Bread Started
Early Days of Highland Bakery
Two friends, William Fisch and Herman Malchow, started Highland Bakery in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1901. Before that, they ran a lunchroom for three years. They began baking breads and selling them from one horse-and-wagon route. They also had one small bakery shop. Their business grew and became very successful.
The Story Behind the Name
There's a fun story about how Merita got its name. In the early years, some bakery products received a special "MERIT-A" award. This award meant they were of the highest quality. The company kept winning this award and showed the "MERIT-A" symbol on its packages. One day, a printer accidentally left out the hyphen. That's how the name MERITA was born!
Mergers and Quality Control
In 1910, Highland Baking Company joined with two other companies. They formed the American Bakeries Candy Company. By 1912, they stopped making candy. The company then became known as American Bakeries Company, Inc.
Merita was serious about making good bread. In 1921, they set up their first "bakery research laboratory." This lab helped them check the quality of all their ingredients. They made sure everything was pure, from the raw materials to the finished bread.
Changes in Ownership
The Merita part of American Bakeries was bought by Interstate Bakeries Corporation in 1988. This company later became Hostess Brands, Inc. After Hostess Brands closed down in late 2012, Merita was sold again. Flowers Foods bought Merita for $390 million. This big deal also included other well-known bread brands like Wonder Bread.
How Merita Bread Was Advertised
Sponsoring The Lone Ranger
Merita bread used exciting ways to reach customers. In 1938, Merita was the first to bring "The Lone Ranger" radio adventures to the Southern United States. These shows were broadcast three times a week.
Later, in 1949, Merita became the first company in the South to sponsor a network television show. They sponsored "The Lone Ranger" television show.
Muppets Commercials
In 1963, Muppets, Inc. created six short commercials for Merita Bread. These ads were shown in the southern US. They featured two puppet characters named Wilkins and Wontkins. These characters were already famous for coffee commercials.
Sports Sponsorship
In November 2010, Merita became the "official bread" of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The SEC is a group of college sports teams. Merita sponsored all SEC Championship events until June 2013.
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