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Encyclopedia Dubuque

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Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.




TRAUSCH BAKING COMPANY

From Encyclopedia Dubuque
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Photo courtesy: Library of Congress
Trauschbb.jpg

TRAUSCH BAKING COMPANY. One of Dubuque's first bakeries to make a complete line of baked goods. The company unveiled Iowa's first donut-making machine on February 6, 1929.

Trausch Baking Company was established as JOHN P. TRAUSCH in 1907. The 1915 Dubuque City Directory listed 1108 Iowa as the address. The 1929 Dubuque City Directory listed 1130 Iowa. The 1934 Dubuque City Directory listed 19-31 Main.

The company was operated by Trausch, his wife and one employee. Deliveries were confined to the city, and bread was the main product.

In 1926 William CLEMENS, Sr., joined the firm as a manager. He was intrigued by the possibilities being realized in the baking industry by wrapping bread. Previously bread had been sold unwrapped. This severely restricted the distribution area to generally within only the immediate city. Wrapped bread could be sold over a much wider area with a resulting increase in profit to the bakery.

Advertising trivet for the Trausch Baking Company. Photo courtesy: Bob Reding

Clemens became a partner of John P. and Arthur Trausch in 1930. This partnership survived until 1957 when the company was incorporated, and Clemens became the president. Upon his retirement in 1964, Clemens sold his interest in the company back to the Trausch family.

Photo courtesy: Library of Congress

In 1987 the Trausch Baking Company were bakers of Sunbeam, Hillbilly and Peter Pan bread. In addition to offices and the plant in Dubuque, the company had sales and distribution centers in Waterloo, Cedar Rapids, Clinton, Burlington, Ottumwa, in Iowa; Monroe and Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin; and Moline and Rock Falls, Illinois. The company was a member of the Quality Bakers of America, a cooperative owned and operated by 150 members. In that year G. Heileman Brewing, the owner of Trausch Baking Company, announced that Bond Corp. Holdings Ltd. could sell the baking operations of the G. Heileman Brewing Company three years after the merger of the companies.

Deck of advertising playing cards. Photo courtesy: Bob Reding

In May 1988 the sale, including the Trausch Company, was completed to RT Holding, SA, a family-owned firm based in Belgium and one of Europe's leading sugar producers.

Fleet of delivery trucks circa 1930. Photo courtesy: Bob Reding
Advertising/delivery truck for the Trausch Baking Company. Photo courtesy: Bob Reding
Trausch bread wrapper