White Lily & Southern baking may never be the same (Knoxville: houses, foods)

[Watertown Gal]

Martha White flour is still around. It's all I've ever used anyway..

About Martha White

[knoxgarden]

It's been a long time since White Lily was locally owned. The plant closing was announced in March.
What makes White Lily flour special is that it's made from soft winter wheat. This has very little gluten and produces wonderfully light cakes, biscuits, cookies, etc.
Don't try to make bread with it though. Not enough gluten for that to work at all.
PS: JFG coffee is owned by Reilly Foods in Louisiana. Has been since 1965. They've moving the roasting to Sutherland Avenue.
Reily Foods

From the News Sentinel:
White Lily closing downtown mill

By Michael Silence (Contact)
Originally published 09:50 a.m., March 3, 2008

The old White Lily flour mill, a downtown landmark for 125 years, will be closing this spring.

Larry Trotterchaud, business agent for local Teamsters 519, said they were notified late Friday of the impending layoffs and closure.

Of the current 72 employees, 39 will be laid off May 1, and the remaining 33 on June 30, Trotterchaud said.

"I guess the grain milling market is not that accessible to a smaller player in the field. There are so many giants anymore," Trotterchaud said.

Many of those laid off will be looking for new jobs but Trotterchaud said he believes several of them will simply retire.

In October 2006, The White Lily Foods Co. brand name was sold to the J.M. Smucker Co. for an undisclosed price.

C.H. Guenther & Son Inc. kept 125-year-old downtown Knoxville company open and produces its products for Smucker.

White Lily flour and Three Rivers cornmeal have been produced on Depot Avenue for generations under eight owners over 125 years. It is a downtown manufacturing landmark and employer of about 112 workers, including plant staff and a sales force in the field.

Past owners of White Lily have included founder J. Allen Smith & Co., Great Western Foods, Dixie Portland Flour Mills (a subsidiary of Federal Co.), Holly Farms Corp., Tyson Foods, Archer-Daniels-Midland Co. and Windmill Holdings.

San Antonio, Texas-based Guenther bought White Lily in 1995 when White Lily operated ingredient lines for consumers and industrial users.

[gemkeeper]

This is the new life and the new way of doing business, it seems, and not just in the US. This is a worldwide phenonmenon of the big guys struggling, the little guys struggling even more and getting gobbled up.

If it is any reassurance for White Lily flour users (I have always bought it, even in the mid-west and NE!), my husband used to be in the business of working for these big, totally unrelated corporations buying up small splinter businesses, folding them into the mix hoping to expand their market and retooling them financially.

I cannot, and DH cannot, remember a single buyout of a successful product where the parent company tried to change the formula or quality of that product. The reason they were purchased in the first place is because of strong customer loyalty and satisfaction.

If the buyout caused the raw materials sources, and manufacturing practices to change for White Lily flour, it would be cutting off one's nose to spite their face!

I hope this will be true of White Lily, as well. The saddest part is that the operation is being moved and so many will lose their jobs here, although create jobs someplace else.

We always look at the local picture first, but forget that we are a larger family than just one city, or state. We are a country that needs jobs and business. Hopefully, this will not be a loss that Knoxville cannot recover from. The best outcome will be that the parent company will use the site for another one of their industries.

[hiknapster]

Thanks for clearing that up, knoxgarden.

[Beretta]

I hate to see a local icon close (no matter who presently owns it) but I have to admit that I have never been a White Lily fan; although I have bought it here and there over the years. I happen to love King Arthur Flour :: Home Page and use it exclusively.

[gemkeeper]

Thanks, knoxgarden, I was just coming back to edit my post fearing that it might come off as uncaring that a business was moving out. There are very few local businesses any longer.

Even those that we assume are locally or regionally based are owned by a German, Japanese or French company. We would be amazed to know how much of our hallmark American giants are owned and controlled by foreign interests.

One of my sons works as an engineer in Mexico designing GM auto electrical systems for a company owned by the French (over a 55% interest), but is still under a US manufacturers name. It is a ruse and a convenience often times. A business is more likely to attract a country's customers if it "seems" to be a US company.

In almost any large national company or financial institution one will find major holders to be Chinese, Japanese, German, Brazilian, and now middle eastern companies. I know I should insert a link here, but blab first, backup after.

I'll be back!! TN foreign-owned (http://www.utm.edu/departments/french/foctn.html - broken link)

[jabogitlu]

Watertown Gal, my mom uses Martha White sometimes too. I guess that's what we'll switch to, if White Lily goes downhill *crosses fingers*

[gemkeeper]

I really like the White Lily flour, but when baking or making gravy, almost always use Swans Down. It is even lighter than White Lily.

I do like to try to stick to local shops and products as much as possible. It helps us all out - even down to our property taxes and schools. It is just so difficult to even know what is TRULY local any longer.

[Beretta]

Martha White is also owned by the Smucker Company; same owner of White Lily.

[jabogitlu]

Ugh.

See??

Why don't they just make Smucker Flour? Somehow it seems less deceitful.