A Message from Our Chairman: Dawn - 90 Years of Taking Great Care of Customers!

When we first began serving high-quality bakery products 90 years ago, people drove Model T’s, got all their news from the news papers and paid only a few cents for a bag of donuts.  Much has changed in the world over the past 9 decades, but some very important things remain the same… We make quality products, we know bakery, we still care about our customers and team members, and we have a mutual respect for all. This proven approach is the heart of our culture:  We know. We care. We can help.®  -- and these Three Pillars still guide us today.

As Dawn continues to celebrate our 90th Anniversary in business, we remain passionate about taking great care of our Dawn People around the world.  We are also committed to developing consistently high-quality Products for that group of folks who make everything we do possible –   our valued Customers.  You see this very simple principle at work in each Dawn facility around    the globe. 

Back in 1920, we began as the Century Bakery, serving donuts to hundreds of hungry working people every day at a busy bakery across from a bustling street car stop in downtown Jackson, Michigan.  We began our journey of innovation when the owners of the business at the time, Eugene Worden and Grover Lutz, shared with other bakers this special mix. As demand increased, the enterprising pair decided to close the bakery and sell the mix instead – thus becoming the first commercial bakery mix supplier in the U.S. and to the baking industry. 

Later my father, Marlin Jones, joined the business in 1935 at the height of the Great Depression.  Rather than wait for the economy to turn around, he set about making the company more competitive by negotiating directly with farmers to win favorable grain contracts.  This strategy helped keep Dawn strong up to and through WWII, when many bakery companies were struggling to obtain essential commodities.  Eventually in 1955, through thrift, a great deal of hard work and his leadership, my father was able to purchase the company. 

It appears the lessons learned all those years ago, still ring true.  Today, our great industry faces commodity challenges like never before, and we are working harder than ever to ensure we deliver the greatest value possible to our customers.  We are also facing a very tough global economy, some say it’s the toughest economy in more than 70 years.  Having been in this industry, more than 50 years, I would agree that these are some of the most challenging times our industry has experienced. 

However, it is important to remember that out of great challenges come some truly great opportunities.  Tough times force us to look at how we work and ask the necessary questions:  How can we do this better?  How can we become the most trusted partner our customers need to succeed?  For us, that means ensuring that nobody understands our customer’s needs and challenges better than we do.  It means asking many questions and then taking the time to actually listen.  This is not a secret formula, but it has worked well for our customers and Dawn since 1920.

Dawn is proud to celebrate 90 years of making a difference for our customers and Team Dawn. We are even more excited as we look forward to serving this great bakery industry for many more years to come. 

We are grateful for all the blessings our team receives every day and we sincerely thank all our loyal customers who have been such an important part of the Dawn success as well as Team Dawn throughout the world. 

Thank you and have a great day!

Ron Jones, Chairman