Annotated Bibliography

Central Question: How has Dave's Killer Bread managed to become a national brand from its humble roots?

Source #1: Mortenson, Eric. "Dave's Killer Bread brings in a partner to take its loaves - and story - to a national market." OregonLive. The Oregonian, 27 Dec. 2012. Web. 11 March 2013

Summary: This is an overview of the company's evolution from 2005 as a spinoff of NatureBake to the impressive 2012 statistics illustrating employment and store representation increases.  The writer details this success as the result of Dave's Killer Bread's decision to give half-ownership to Goode Partners LCC in exchange for financial and management aid. There is talk on Dave's insistence that he is not selling out, but looking to expand his brand, especially in California.The restructuring will change around some original management of the family business, but Dave Dahl will remain as company president.There is a brief recap on the character and past of Dave. The Oregon-based Meriwether Group is mentioned as it helped introduce Dave's Killer Bread to Goode Partners LCC. The New York Goode Partners LCC believed Dave's story of redemption, along with the Oregon location and health-conscious times, would result in good business, thus leading to their support and partnership.

Importance: This source was chosen primarily for its information relating to the expansion of Dave's Killer Bread, most notably in the form of its new New-York based partnership. As my central question seeks to understand how this company rose to northwest prominence so quickly, it is imperative to understand the business dealings which are present in every company's growth into different markets, which makes this source significant in that it details Dave's Killer Bread's perhaps most significant business decision. The reasons given by Goode Partners LCC - location, rapidness of success, the story behind the product, increased public awareness of foods -  as to why they partnered with Dave's Killer Bread also provide valuable insight into how Dave's Killer Bread became such a success in a still-recovering economy as it reacted and presented itself with the public in mind. Finally, the figures included in the article help me map out the success of the company and chronicle its evolution.



Source #2: Pullen, John Patrick. "Rising Up." Entrepreneur [Online ed.] Jan. 2013. General OneFile. Web. 11 Mar. 2013.

Summary: There is a more extensive look into the criminal past of Dave Dahl and his issues while in prison.The author goes on to describe Dave's Killer Bread today with numbers like $54 million of organic, GMO-free bread sold in 2012. Dave explains the unique employment arrangement in his company, where roughly 30% of those hired are ex-cons and everybody is on a 90-day probation when first hired. The company wishes to help those who have been through prison and want to improve their lives and leave their pasts behind bars behind. Additionally, Dave explains that Dave's Killer Bread aids a multitude of organizations which helps ex-cons and others alike.

Importance: A company's reputation is at times a powerful factor in the success of its products or services. This source allows me to explore into Dave's Killer Bread's company image and determine how its humanitarian and community-oriented business model influence the willingness of customers to consume its product. From this, I can build upon my thesis as I will argue the earth-friendly and community-conscious decisions in its design - purposefully detailed to the public - promote positive feelings which prompt consumers to choose this product over others, increasing sales and allowing the company to move up in the business world over its competitors. Additionally, the information of the actual breads (GMO, organic) can be utilized in such a manner that reflects my thesis wherein Dave's Killer Bread is harnessing thier location and the time (environmentally and health friendly) in order to sell more product and grow into an even larger company.

 

Source #3: "From bad seed to good seed: Dave's Killer Bread delivers $40M in revenues this year." Idaho Business Review 23 Sept. 2011. General OneFile. Web. 11 Mar. 2013. 

Summary:The author  briefly chronicles Dave Dahl's journey through 15 years of prison and his decision to try to help out in his family business. His humble beginnings and attempts to create new breads, inspired by his love of creation while in prison working in computer-aided design, proved an immediate success. However, the author recounts Dave's admittance that returning to the family business and fostering a successful new line was difficult. His immersion into the Oregons NatureBakes -  started by his father in 1955 - is further detailed. The article mentions that in 2008, NatureBake moved from a 15,000 square-foot property to a new 52,000 square-foot bakery. By 2011, the company employed 225 people and pulled in $40 million. The author also mentions the various stores, like Whole Foods and Fred Meyer, which now carry Dave's Killer Bread, and ends with Dave's new position as company president, his brother Glenn as company chairman and Glenn's son, Shobi, as chief executive officer, keeping in with the image of a family business.

Importance:  With facts on Dave Dahl's criminal past and his journey to leave it behind, I can better understand the character of the man who currently runs Dave's Killer Bread and who build it up from such humble beginnings. In this way, I can draw some conclusions on the manner and techniques in which the company underneath him is run. The statistics and business decisions given in the article further allow me to chronicle the company's expansion and rise to success, and suggest that Dave's Killer Bread engaged in calculated gambles - an important contributor in expanding a company rather than keeping it stagnant with either fear of unrequited financial expectations or a contentment at the level it currently maintains. This obvious willingness to foster the growth of the company through these actions will aid me in answering my Central Question as I am given more of an idea as to how this small, humble company flourished into the national brand it is today. Lastly, this article contributes to the thought above in source 2 concerning reputation; the family aspect of the company exudes a presence of quaintness and on-your-level sentiments, attracting more consumers and perhaps being an important factor in the company's rise.