WEST DES MOINES, IOWA - July 29, 2010 -Country Maid, owner of the Butter Braid® brand and strong contender in the fundraising industry, wins the July Iowa Farm Bureau Renew Rural Iowa Entrepreneur award for its sound business model and commitment to the communities they serve.
What started 21 years ago as a pastry-making project to help a West Bend, Iowa couple with six children make it through the Farm Crisis has now grown into a successful manufacturing and service company with approximately 80 independent dealerships in 44 states. All of the dealerships are dedicated to employee ownership, creative marketing approaches and a strong commitment to keeping rural Iowa vital. Country Maid now has 61 employees in the West Bend area and many more in their other dealerships.
The Butter Braid® pastry product line has a dedicated following which spans generations. "A big part of the experience is that the customer bakes the product themselves; it's not just something they warm up," said Darin Massner, Chief Executive Officer of the company. Country Maid has grown over the years and continues to strive for excellence. "We're in the process of moving into a new building that is adjacent to our old facility on the north side of West Bend. The move will give Country Maid more space and will allow for the enhancement of food safety standards well beyond federal and state requirements," said Massner.
"A number of Iowans are familiar with the good deeds Country Maid has done over the years, not just by employing local residents, but also by providing a quality product that many area kids rely on to raise funds for our schools and community projects," said Dan Chism, Palo Alto County Farm Bureau president. "Their motto suits them well: 'Helping Others Help Themselves,'" said Chism.
Providing business planning is just part of the expert help available through Farm Bureau's Renew Rural Iowa program. For more information about Renew Rural Iowa or upcoming VentureNet Iowa business mentoring seminars, call 800-254-9670 or log on to the Renew Rural Iowa website at www.renewruraliowa.com.
