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McKee Foods Corporation is a privately held United States company headquartered in Collegedale , Tennessee . They are the makers of the popular '''Little Debbie''' and '''Sunbelt''' Snacks . BRANDS Little Debbie Little Debbie products are primarily cookie and cake based dessert snacks. They come in dozens of varieties. Perhaps the best known of the ''Little Debbie'' snacks is the oatmeal cream pie. ''Little Debbie'' products are available in most large discount stores, grocery stores, and convenience stores. The brand ''Little Debbie'' is better known than its parent company. In the 1960s , company founders O.D. and Ruth McKee decided to name a product after one of their grandchildren - four year old Debbie. The original image of Debbie used on packaging and advertising was based on a black and white photo. Atlanta artist, Pearl Mann, did the original color artwork. She made young Debbie look older, around eight or nine. Minor changes were made to the logo in 1987 . Sunbelt Sunbelt products include a variety of Granola Bar s and Cereals . The Sunbelt brand pioneered the chewy granola bar. COMPANY HISTORY The company was founded during The Depression by O.D. and Ruth McKee. O.D. started by selling cakes from his 1928 Whippet in the Chattanooga , Tennessee area. Wanting to expand, he bought a small bakery called ''Jack's Cookie Company''. The bakery did well for a few years, but O.D. was still looking to expand. His father-in-law, however, didn't share his ideas. O.D. decided to sell his business, and start over. The McKees moved to Charlotte , North Carolina , into a new bakery designed by O.D. After some time, they sold the Charlotte plant. They moved back to Chattanooga in the early 1950s when Cecil King, Ruth's brother, was in poor health and needed the help. They decided to buy back their old bakery. McKee Baking Company moved to Collegedale in 1957 . In 1991 , McKee Baking Company became McKee Foods Corporation. The Little Debbie brand now sponsors Ken Schrader 's #21 Ford Fusion in NASCAR . EXTERNAL LINKS |
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