Sara Lee Corporation

Sara Lee bears the name of its most celebrated bakery division. Founded by Charles Lubin (and his brother-in-law, Arthur Gordon) in 1950, the Kitchen of Sara Lee was a wholesale baker of high-quality products such as its celebrated All Butter Pound Cake and All Butter Pecan Coffee Cake introduced in 1952. Sara Lee was Lubin’s only daughter, who had earlier given her name to either a fruit cake or cream cheese cake. As the business expanded in the Chicago area, Lubin realized that frozen products could extend the company’s reach. Together with housewares manufacturer Ekco, Sara Lee developed the first aluminum foil packages with laminated lids and new formulas for frozen products in 1954. Products were now shipped nationwide.