In
1968, Bill Braum opened the first Braum's Ice Cream and
Dairy Store...but the Braum story actually begins long
before that time, spanning three generations with over
six decades of history behind it.
It
began in the State of Kansas in 1933. Bill Braum was in
grade school when he began his career by helping his
father, Henry H. Braum, with the family business, a
small butter and milk processing plant in Emporia,
Kansas. Seven years later ice cream processing was added
to the operation.
Bill Braum worked through high
school with his father and after receiving a degree in
Business Administration from the University of Kansas in
1949, he
came back to Emporia to take a more active role in the
family business. Henry Braum sold the
wholesale part of the business in 1952 and began
specializing in ice cream, developing a chain of retail
ice cream stores in Kansas called "Peter Pan." In 1957
he purchased the company from his father. The company
had approximately 61 retail stores, when in 1967, a
large wholesaler bought the "Peter Pan" chain of retail
stores (excluding the Braum dairy herd and processing
plant) As a condition of the sale, the Braum's would not
be allowed to sell ice cream in the State of Kansas for
ten years.
In
1968, Bill and his wife Mary, started a new chain of
retail stores in Oklahoma called BRAUM'S ICE CREAM AND
DAIRY STORES. That first year, twenty-four stores were
opened in Oklahoma. Because the Braum dairy herd and
processing plant were still located in Emporia, Kansas,
the ice cream, dairy products and other supplies had to
be transported daily from Emporia, Kansas to Oklahoma.
For three years, Braum's stores were serviced from the
plant in Emporia until a new processing plant was built
in Oklahoma City in 1971.
In 1975, the Braum dairy herd was
moved from Emporia to its new home located in Tuttle,
Oklahoma. Today, Braum's owns seven farms and ranches,
totaling over 40,000 acres (62 square miles) of some of
the best farm and ranch land in America! Each plays its
own unique role in the Braum operation from housing the
Braum cows, to growing the
alfalfa hay to feed the dairy herd.
Braum's
bakery was built in Oklahoma City in 1978. This facility
now produces the fresh bakery items available in the
Braum's stores including cookies, cones, buns, breads
and much more.
As
the company grew, the need for a bigger processing plant
became evident. In 1987, Braum's construction crews
built a 260,000 square foot, state-of-the-art processing
plant on the Braum farm in Tuttle. Located only minutes
from the milking operation, this plant enables Braum's
to consistently control the freshness, purity and
quality of their products.
In
1993, Braum's construction crews built a new milking
complex on the Tuttle farm. This complex consists of 17
freestall barns (over 35 acres) that house the milking
herd and a milking parlor, which is the largest of its
kind in the world! Three times a day, twenty-four hours
a day, seven days a week, Braum's is milking 10,000
cows! Today, Braum's is still the only major ice cream
maker in the country that milks its own cows.
Braum's
is unique in the dairy industry because it is vertically
integrated. Braum's "cuts out the middleman" by owning
its dairy herd, farms and ranches, processing plant,
bakery, retail stores and delivery trucks. Braum's can
offer its customers the highest quality products at the
lowest possible prices.
Today,
there are over 280 Braum's Ice Cream and Dairy Stores
throughout Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Missouri and
Arkansas. The company remains family owned and operated.
It
began in the State of Kansas in 1933. Bill Braum was in
grade school when he began his career by helping his
father, Henry H. Braum, with the family business, a
small butter and milk processing plant in Emporia,
Kansas. Seven years later ice cream processing was added
to the operation.
came back to Emporia to take a more active role in the
family business. Henry Braum sold the
wholesale part of the business in 1952 and began
specializing in ice cream, developing a chain of retail
ice cream stores in Kansas called "Peter Pan." In 1957
he purchased the company from his father. The company
had approximately 61 retail stores, when in 1967, a
large wholesaler bought the "Peter Pan" chain of retail
stores (excluding the Braum dairy herd and processing
plant) As a condition of the sale, the Braum's would not
be allowed to sell ice cream in the State of Kansas for
ten years.
In
1968, Bill and his wife Mary, started a new chain of
retail stores in Oklahoma called BRAUM'S ICE CREAM AND
DAIRY STORES. That first year, twenty-four stores were
opened in Oklahoma. Because the Braum dairy herd and
processing plant were still located in Emporia, Kansas,
the ice cream, dairy products and other supplies had to
be transported daily from Emporia, Kansas to Oklahoma.
For three years, Braum's stores were serviced from the
plant in Emporia until a new processing plant was built
in Oklahoma City in 1971.
alfalfa hay to feed the dairy herd.
As
the company grew, the need for a bigger processing plant
became evident. In 1987, Braum's construction crews
built a 260,000 square foot, state-of-the-art processing
plant on the Braum farm in Tuttle. Located only minutes
from the milking operation, this plant enables Braum's
to consistently control the freshness, purity and
quality of their products.
Today,
there are over 280 Braum's Ice Cream and Dairy Stores
throughout Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Missouri and
Arkansas. The company remains family owned and operated.