Tulsa bakery part of bid for Hostess bread brands, facilities
BY KYLE ARNOLD World Staff Writer
Monday, January 14, 2013
1/14/13 at 12:08 PM
The Hostess Brands bakery in Tulsa has a potential buyer after Flowers Foods Inc., the maker of Nature’s Own and Tastykake, made a bid for most of the bankrupt company’s bread brands and 20 bakeries nationwide.
On Friday Flowers Foods, headquartered in Thomasville, Ga., agreed with Hostess to buy the brands, bakeries and 38 depots for $360 million.
The Tulsa bakery is located at 1111 S. Sheridan Rd., where more than 180 workers lost their jobs late last year.
Hostess has been in bankruptcy for more than a year and finally shut down 33 bakeries in December after a contentious fight with bakery union employees who wouldn’t agree to wage and benefit cuts.
Hostess is the parent company to iconic American brands such as Wonder Bread and Hostess snack foods that includes Twinkies, Ding Dongs, Ho Hos and Suzy Qs.
Since the closure Hostess snack cakes and breads have disappeared from store shelves while the bankruptcy judge and lawyers try to break up and sell Hostess’ assets and settle more than $860 million in debts.
Flowers Foods spokesman Keith Hancock said the $360 million bid is just the first of many steps that the company would need to go through to acquire the Hostess breads brands and facilities.
“The bid would have to be approved by the bankruptcy judge and then it would set a price for other companies to try to match,” Hancock said.
Flower Foods does not have any bakeries in Oklahoma, but runs a distribution center in Perry, south of Ponca City.
Associated Images:
In this November 2012 file photo, workers on the picket line at the main entrance of the Hostess bakery at 11th & Sheridan in Tulsa. MICHAEL WYKE/Tulsa World File
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