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GEORGE WESTON BAKERIES
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George Weston Bakeries is based in Bay Shore, Long Island. George Weston brings together many of America's favorite baked goods brands, including Entenmann's, Arnold, Boboli, Freihofer's, Stroehmann and Thomas.' These baked goods are sold in retail outlets across the United States, including Sam's Clubs and Wal-Mart Stores.
The company's offices are located in the Entenmann's factory in Bay Shore, which is the largest baking facility of its kind in the United States. Though Entenmann's has been in business for over 100 years, the Bay Shore facility was built in 1961 and remains one of the most recognizable buildings in the area. Many Long Islanders have fond memories of childhood trips to the Entenmann's outlet to buy their favorite snacks and cakes.
Another famous brand that is part of the George Weston family is Thomas', maker of Thomas' English Muffins, bagels, bread and other baked goods. Thomas' began in Manhattan in 1880 and opened its bakery on Long Island in 1920. Today, Thomas' is the largest brand in the bakery aisle with products available from coast to coast.
Walmart is proud to count George Weston Bakeries as a supplier and, through our business relationship, to help support the more than 900 jobs the company provides on Long Island. The company supplies 2,000 Wal-Mart stores across the country, including all 12 stores on Long Island. As a supplier for Walmart, Joe Trusso, National Account Manager for GWB, sees the similarities between the two companies. "Walmart is always looking for fresh products at a great value," says Mr. Trusso. "And that's what we provide."
George Weston Bakeries also shares Walmart's strong commitment to giving back to the local community through their many charitable donations to Long Island organizations. Beneficiaries include the Sons of American Veterans, the United Way of LI, Schneiders Children's Hospital, Parents for Megan's Law & Crime Victims Center, Bayshore-Brightwaters Rescue Ambulance, and many others.
For more information on George Weston Bakeries, Inc. visit their website at http://gwbakeries.com/. For information on Entenmann's, visit http://entenmanns.gwbakeries.com/.
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UNCLE WALLY'S
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Wally Amos ("Famous Amos") in front of the
Shirley, NY headquarters of Uncle Wally's
Shirley, Long Island is home to "Uncle Wally's Gourmet and Homestyle Muffins," founded in 1995 by Wally "Famous" Amos and Louis Avignone. The company began with a phone call Avignone made after hearing an interview with Wally Amos, the founder of "Famous Amos" cookies. At the time Avignone was a distributor of the well-loved cookie, and he decided to pick up the phone and speak to "Famous Amos" himself. Soon after, they formed a partnership, and, with a little luck, a lot of hard work, and a no-quit attitude, "Uncle Wally's" was born.
Initially, the company focused on cookies, which made "Famous" Amos into a house-hold name, but then decided to change direction and bake muffins. In 2001, the company opened what is now its 60,000 square foot, state-of-the-art bakery in Shirley, and today, Uncle Wally's muffins are sold in more than 7,000 stores nationwide, including Walmart and Sam's Club. The company has grown its sales 10-20% annually over the past 5 years and employs over 140 people on Long Island.
 In an effort to expand its business, Uncle Wally's approached Walmart with a proposal to test market some of their healthy muffin offerings in a selected region. "We came away from the meeting excited but a bit apprehensive," remembers Jerry Ceccio, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Uncle Wally's and a Rocky Point resident.
"On behalf of their customers, Walmart places very high standards on their suppliers and we knew we had our work cut out for us and we were unsure if we could meet them. But we saw this as an excellent opportunity to make our company stronger," says Ceccio, "and their standards expedited our efforts to streamline our operations and enhance our efficiencies. Which in turn, provides all our customers with a quality product at the best possible prices. We're very proud of our association with Walmart". The hard work has paid off; Uncle Wally's has been awarded Walmart's "Supplier of the Quarter" on several occasions and these awards are prominently displayed at the company's headquarters. Uncle Wally's, once a regional supplier, now supplies Wal-Mart Supercenters nationwide.
The company is also devoted to giving back to Long Island. Wally Amos, who had dropped out of high school, is not only a successful businessman but also an author and spokesman for Literacy Volunteers of America. Promoting literacy is a cause the company strongly supports. The company also supports such local causes as Central Nassau Guidance & Counseling Service, Inc.; Long Island Cares; Food Bank of New York; and local PTAs and other organizations. For more information on Uncle Wally's, visit their website at http://www.unclewallys.com/.
Uncle Wally's headquarters in Shirley, NY |
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