Print thisSchroeder Company Jobs in Minnesota
Company:Schroeder CompanyCurrent Opportunities (1) Company Website  Location(s):2080 Rice StreetMaplewood, MN 55113 Map Location
Industry:Agriculture / Forestry / FisheriesSize:100-499 |
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Company OverviewThe Founding of SchroederWhen German immigrant Henry Schroeder founded Schroeder Milk Company in 1884, it is unlikely that he knew that he was beginning a family business that would continue to grow, change and prosper during the next four generations. The company had decidedly humble origins. Henry had one cow and a small parcel of swampy land, but he was determined to build a farm. The location, north of Larpenteur Avenue, east of Rice Street and south of what is now Highway 36, offered him the convenience of being close to the St. Paul city limits and he soon started delivering milk to home routes in St. Paul. An aggressive salesman, Henry always sold more than his cows produced, so it was only a matter of time before it became necessary for him to purchase a surplus of milk from neighbors as well as buy more cattle to meet the demands of his customer base. The work was demanding and everyone in the dairy business worked long and hard. Henry and his employees would begin milking at five in the morning and be out on the routes by 8 a.m. H. Schroeder Dairy had eight to ten delivery routes in St. Paul, one of which was the prized Summit Avenue route. The route catered to St. Paul's well-to-do, including James J. Hill. Despite the long days, demanding work and such hardships as having to rebuild twice in the early twenties after fires, the dairy grew and thrived. The Company's Growth In 1928 and 1929, the State of Minnesota passed two laws-the first prohibiting the sale of raw milk and the second disallowing the purchase of milk from other farms. Despite the difficulty these laws caused for many dairy farmers, Henry-who at that time had the area's largest dairy-was always ready to experiment with new machinery that would modernize dairy farming. He converted one of his farm buildings to a pasteurization plant and used some of the area's first vacuum milkers, bottle washers and bottling machines. In addition to being a shrewd businessperson, Henry was a smart marketer and began to market his milk using a slogan-"Safe for Baby Milk"-that had initially been the recommendation of Dr. Walter Ramsey, founder of Saint Paul's Childrens Hospital. Ramsey had advocated the use of Schroeder milk to his patients due to its cleanliness and health standards. By the late 1930's, Henry had handed over much of the responsibility for the business to his sons William and Henry Junior and the milk business was rapidly changing. Small stores sold milk and it was less expensive and more convenient than waiting for the milkman. Schroeder began to deliver, and even acquire, some of these small stores specializing in dairy products, adapting the dairy business in order to ensure the satisfaction of its customers and the customer satisfaction of the family business. After several decades of change, William's sons Bob and Bill officially took the reins at Schroeder, and were later joined by their two younger brothers, Carl and Ernest. They doubled the size of the company, grew the business in all areas and reinvested all of the profits back into the company. The enterprising brothers also made some enhancement to the manufacturing processes by installing an automated cleaning system throughout all of the production machinery and updating the packaging from glass to cartons. |
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