Draft:Martha Entenmann

Introduction

Martha Entenmann (November 26,1906-1996) born Martha Schneider, was a Long Island native, salesperson & entrepreneur. Entenmann’s contribution to Entenmann's company caused it to go from a small-town bakery to a nationwide brand. Entenmann took over the company, after her husband passed away, along with her three sons. In addition, she is also credited for the creation of baked goods packaged in boxes with the see-through windows. A common model is now used, not only within the Entenmann brand but throughout baked goods companies worldwide. Early Life

Martha was born in Hoboken, New Jersey. Based on baptism records Martha grew up as a Christian. Her German father had a hard time maintaining employment due to his immigration status so Martha spent a few years moving around various towns in New Jersey. By about 1925, Martha had moved into her own apartment in Bayshore, Long Island. This around the time she began working for the bakery.

Marrying Into Entenmann

Entenmann’s journey began when she got a saleswoman position for the bakery bakery. She met the late CEO William Entenmann Jr, The two met and not too long after fell in love. They married when Martha was about 19 years old. They later had three sons, Robert, Charles, and William III Entenmann. Their sons helped Entenmann to continue on the legacy along with Entenmann after the passing of William Entenmann Jr., in 1951 age 47.

Entenmann’s Contribution to Entenmann: Small Town to Nationwide

Before W. Entenmann passed the company was a bakery storefront that sold to individual customers. Although they had very high-paying customers they were very limited in the marketplace. Entenmann took over, and decided it was time for the company to make a change in it’s operation. Rather than selling baked goods solely from one bakery, they began to target bulk selling to various supermarkets. This change in business approach caused a massive expansion in the company. This increase in demand created an issue because they no longer had space for the capacity. The store was upgraded to a 550,000-square-foot facility allowing the company to sell across more states. Entenmann also came up with a new style of packaging where the baked goods were visible through the display window. This boosted popularity, and customers were now able to get a preview of the goods before buying them. Along with this expansion, Entenmann brought the company public and later sold it for millions of dollars.

Final Days

Martha’s career came to an end when she retired, after 50 years of working with the company. She would pass away 15 years later at the age of 1996.