CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — Martin’s Famous Pastry Shoppe, Inc.®, best known for making Martin’s Famous Potato Rolls and Bread, announces executive promotions for members of the Martin family’s third generation of company leadership.
The popularity and success of Martin’s Famous Pastry Shoppe is due in large part to the Martin family—their history and the values on which the company was founded. From its humble beginning in 1955 in the garage of Lloyd and Lois Martin, Martin’s® has grown into one of the nation’s leaders in bread and roll production.
On August 1st, second-generation Martin’s leader, James (Jim) Martin, will be stepping aside as President of Martin’s Famous Pastry Shoppe and the day-to-day operations of the company. Jim will retain the role and title of Executive Chair of the Board and continue to have great influence on the direction and strategy of the company. As carefully constructed through years of succession planning, several of Jim and Donna Martin’s children are being promoted and will continue to carry out the day-to-day operations of the company:
- J. Anthony (Tony) Martin, President
- Joseph Martin, Executive Vice President
- Jacqueline Martin, Vice President of Project Management & Strategic Initiatives
“Succession planning in a family business is important for stability and continuity,” says incoming president, Tony Martin, “which is why we’ve been working on it together as a family for quite a few years. We wanted to be ready, so that when the time for transition came, we would be able to successfully preserve and grow our family company with the same values and the same attention to quality that started with our grandparents, was strengthened and grown through our father’s leadership, and now will be continued through my siblings and me with the help of our tremendously talented Martin’s family of coworkers. That time of transition is here, and we, as a family, are ready to carry on the Martin’s legacy, doing ‘whatever it takes, God helping us.’ Our dad, Jim Martin, has always been a great example for us, both at home and at work. We are so grateful for his wisdom, compassion, generosity, and strong work ethic. As Executive Chair of the Board, Dad will still be very involved with the strategic direction of our business, and we look forward to continuing to learn from him.”
The Martin family has been known for their continual pursuit of a higher level of service and best practices in the baking industry, and they have seen bread and roll production advance from hand production to its current state-of-the-art automated production. Although the company has grown immensely over the past number of years, Martin’s has stayed focused on baking the best products by using the highest quality ingredients, such as high protein, unbleached wheat flour, real milk, potatoes, butter, and pure cane sugar. They refuse to use high fructose corn syrup and other cheaper ingredients because they believe that high quality ingredients make a better, tastier, healthier product. Martin’s customers often express their appreciation that Martin’s sources non-GMO ingredients; uses no artificial colors and no artificial sweeteners; and all their products are peanut-free, tree-nut-free, and soy-free. Great bread needs to be fresh, so the Martin’s sales team provides frequent deliveries to stores, and they only leave their products on the shelves for a few days to guarantee freshness. This continued emphasis on quality and service is what sets them apart.
“Successful changes are made with good timing. We are strong. We are growing, and we have an excellent leadership team,” says Jim Martin. “I have been thinking about this for a long time. The company is in a tremendous position. I am healthy, and I have total trust in our leadership and management teams. Now is a good time for us to make a change. May the Lord continue to bless this company!” he added.
Martin’s Famous Pastry Shoppe, Inc.®, is an all-American family owned and operated company. The company is operated by the second and third generations of the Martin family who continue to focus on baking great-tasting products using high-quality ingredients. Martin’s has two bakeries, located in Chambersburg, PA, and Valdosta, GA. Their dedication to excellence, quality, service, and family values is what truly sets them apart from their competitors. To learn more about Martin’s Famous Potato Rolls and Bread, you can visit their website at: www.potatorolls.com.
