Today we’d like to introduce you to Laura Neiman.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I grew up hearing about our family business at the dinner table and on weekends, I sometimes accompanied my father in visiting customers. The benefit for me was that it was an opportunity to spend the entire day with my Dad, meet the customers I heard about, learn how they did business together and tour interesting bakeries and manufacturing plants. The bonus for me was that the afternoon inevitably ended with a sprinkle filled cookie!
While on a summer break from college, I worked for Neiman Brothers developing new business and I absolutely loved it. Before heading back to school for my senior year, I approached my Dad about joining him and my uncle in business and he said, “I’m going to give you the same response to this question as my father gave to me” and he proceeded to kiss me on both cheeks, he smiled enthusiastically and said, “welcome”.
Three days after my college commencement, I began working at Neiman Brothers and I have not looked back since that time. I started at the bottom and worked my way up, learning every day from my father. It has been 20 years since I joined our family business and I feel both privileged and grateful to be part of such an extraordinary and special company.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
In 100 years of business, there have been countless challenges and obstacles and fortunately, we have prevailed. Maintaining a strong, healthy culture and having the right team of people is a constant struggle. Staying at the forefront of our industry and offering unique, specialized blends and products is a challenge we continually strive to meet. We want to create something different and new, something that can revolutionize the food industry. We are committed to and work diligently toward continuous innovation so we can initiate the trends of the industry and remain a trusted and valued industry leader.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
At Neiman Brothers Company, we manufacture, import and distribute a full line of ingredients and bakery goods. Established in 1917 by Louis Neiman, we distribute many types of flour, shortening and oils, corn and dairy products, chocolate, nuts, coconut, seeds, conditioners, gels, pastes, and seeds, among other items. Our inventory is vast, and we try to offer our customers a large variety of products so we can be their “one stop shop”.
We have five niches in manufacturing under our private label, Nebro Brand (short for Neiman Brothers):
*We manufacture various types of flour as well as bread, cake, pancake and donut mixes
*We import exotic spices from around the world that we grind, mill and blend to individual customer specifications
*As one of the largest honey processors in the country, we filter millions of pounds of True Source certified honey each year
*We manufacture special recipes for fruit fillings, jellies, and jams, which all contain significant quantities of the highest quality fruit
*We manufacture Nebro Brand colors, flavors, extracts, and emulsions. We can create virtually any flavor or color, from the most basic to the most obscure.
Differentiation is important to us and we do not know of other companies that are able to match our inventory or capabilities to cater to the needs of individuals across such a wide span of industries, not only food.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, and even today, I am a happy, energetic, social and empathic person. As a child, I particularly enjoyed spending time with family and friends and after school several times each week, I could be found figure skating at our local ice rink. Summers were spent with friends participating in both land and water sports and as a family, I loved when we traveled to new and exciting destinations.
During junior high school and high school, my interest in baking developed and I began making treasured family recipes such as my Auntie Lee’s banana cake as well as attempting more complicated items like elaborate cakes, cookies, pies, and soufflés. Understanding that much of baking incorporated chemistry, I often experimented and perfected recipes with my Dad’s assistance. Of course, at the time, I did not realize that it foreshadowed my career path but in retrospect, the failed recipes were the learning experiences that proved most valuable.
Contact Info:
- Address: Neiman Brothers Company, Inc.
3322 W. Newport Avenue Chicago, IL 60618 - Website: www.neimanbrothers.com
- Phone: 773.463.3000
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