McKee Foods Corporation Named As Winning Bidder For Drake’s Snack Cakes

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Hostess Brands Inc. on Thursday announced that the stalking horse bid submitted by McKee Foods for the Drake’s snack cake brand will be the bid presented for approval to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court as no other qualified bids were received for those assets.

“We know that Drake’s Cakes are unique baked goods that have a loyal following,” said Mike McKee, president and CEO. “McKee Foods is a family-owned bakery, similar to how Drake’s was established as a family bakery 125 years ago. We have generations of experience in baking, and we will strive to bake the Drake’s cakes, not just for taste and quality, but also to deliver on the memories of the loyal Drake’s fans.”

McKee Foods has agreed to pay $27.5 million for the Drake’s brand and certain equipment. Drake’s products include Ring Dings, Yodels, Devil Dogs, Yankee Doodles, Sunny Doodles and Drake’s Coffee Cake. Hostess will ask the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York to approve the transaction at a hearing on Tuesday, April 9. No part of the sale will be final until this approval is granted.


CWLI Accepting Applications For The 2013 Women Mentoring Women Program

The Chattanooga Women's Leadership Institute (CWLI) is now accepting applications for its 6th Annual Women Mentoring Women Program, which will begin on Aug. 23. The Women Mentoring Women program consists of eight two-hour lunchtime sessions designed to aid women in developing or sharpening their mentoring skills so they can go back into the community and mentor other ... (click for more)

Airport Authority Approves Budget Using No Fund Reserves Despite $450,000 Wilson Air Center Loss

The Airport Authority Board has approved the fiscal year 2014 balanced budget using no funds from reserves despite a loss of $450,000 on the Wilson Air Center FBO.  Officials said the first-year loss on Wilson Air was $650,000. For the third year (July 1, 2013-June 30, 2014), the airport is projecting a loss of $214,000. Christina Siebold, airport spokesperson, ... (click for more)

Claude Ramsey To Retire As Deputy To The Governor

Governor Bill Haslam on Wednesday announced that Deputy to the Governor Claude Ramsey will retire at the end of August to spend more time with his wife, children and grandchildren in Chattanooga. He said the former Hamilton County assessor and then county mayor "has been integral to me on several key initiatives, including civil service reform, economic development efforts, workforce ... (click for more)

Westfield Gives Emotional Testimony About Fatal Shooting Of Friend Bernard Hughes

An emotional Timothy Westfield on Wednesday told a Criminal Court jury how he was shot and how his friend Bernard Hughes was murdered almost three years ago at the British Woods Apartments. The witness identified Harold Francis "Bam" Butler, III, 33, and John "Cut Throat" Simpson as the gunmen. Simpson pleaded guilty earlier to second-degree murder and is expected to be a ... (click for more)

Replace Airport Authority Board Members - And Response

The public needs to intervene on the absolutely absurd Wilson Air Waste (WWW) at the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport.  What this all comes down to is our elected officials have appointed board members to oversee the budget and decision making at the airport, and they clearly do not respect public resources.   Contrary to the Airport Authority CEO’s statement ... (click for more)

Roy Exum: The Colonel: ‘Tell My Sons’

In the Broadway play, “The Civil War,” there is an emotional song called “Tell My Father,” the words that a dying Union soldier on a distant battlefield asked to be delivered when the other troops got back home. The reason Lt. Col. Mark Weber sang that very song with his oldest son Matt was because the highly-decorated officer was fighting Stage IV intestinal cancer at the ... (click for more)