Bimbo Bakeries is moving its headquarters out of the Philadelphia region

Bimbo Bakeries USA Inc., the company behind Entenmann’s, Little Bites, and Sara Lee baked goods brands, is moving its headquarters from Horsham to the Dallas area.

The company announced the move Wednesday, citing the new headquarters’ proximity to the company’s global office in Mexico, and noting that it already has several sales centers, bakeries, and distribution sites in Texas. The move is intended to strengthen “alignment across U.S. operations,” while also supporting the business’ “long-term growth strategy,” according to a company news release.

“Our commitment to baking and delivering the highest-quality, nutritious and delicious baked goods and snacks to our customers remains our top priority,” said company president Greg Koehrsen in a statement. “Relocating our headquarters to Dallas positions us to operate more efficiently as we continue to invest in our brands and our communities.”

Bimbo Bakeries USA belongs to Grupo Bimbo, a global company known for its baked goods that sells over 9,000 products and got its start in 1943. The U.S headquarters was established in the Philadelphia area in 2009. Prior to that, it had been based in Fort Worth, Texas.

The move to Horsham followed Grupo Bimbo’s acquisition of Weston Foods Inc., a subsidiary of Canadian firm George Weston Limited.

Bimbo Bakeries USA has over 600 employees in the Greater Philadelphia region, including almost 200 who work out of a 71,000-square-foot sales and distribution facility in Conshohocken that opened in 2021.

About 200 Bimbo employees were based out of the Horsham headquarters, a 26,000-square-foot office the company leased. While they worked in the office full-time prior to the pandemic, they have since been operating on a hybrid work schedule with no set number of required days in-office, according to Megan Yocum, a spokesperson for Bimbo Bakeries USA.

Many previously Horsham-based corporate employees will work remotely or from other sites including the Conshohocken facility, but “a small number of corporate positions” will be relocated to the new Texas headquarters, Yocum said.

Some company leaders are already working from the new headquarters, and Bimbo Bakeries USA plans to hire in Texas.

Some 20,000 Bimbo workers are employed around the country, including at distribution sites, bakeries, and sales centers.

“We will still maintain a strong presence in the Philadelphia region,” Yocum said.

The move “will enable easier, more agile execution and support our broader strategy to strengthen alignment, foster collaboration, and accelerate decision-making,” said Yocum.

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Of the company’s over 55 bakeries nationwide, eight are in Pennsylvania. Those facilities are not expected to be impacted by the relocation of Bimbo’s headquarters.

Bimbo Bakeries USA products include Thomas’ English muffins, Sara Lee sliced bread, and Entenmann’s muffins, doughnuts and cakes. During the pandemic, the business saw an increase in demand for its bread.

“We are deeply grateful to the greater Philadelphia community,” said company president Koehrsen. “The Philadelphia area was our home for 17 years, and we will always appreciate the important role it has played in our journey.”