Trenary Home Bakery has been a staple in the Upper Peninsula since 1928, established by the widespread love of their signature product, Trenary Toast. The crispy, cinnamon sugar toast traveled to the U.S. on a boat from Scandinavia and eventually made its way to the Upper Peninsula. For the past 90 years, the same recipe has been used.

Andy Reichert was not new to entrepreneurship when he purchased Trenary Home Bakery in 2015. Previously, he built and ran an ice skating rink, eventually selling it nine years later. He even served three military deployments, which he credits as extremely useful experience for the business world. He holds a degree in Industrial Technology and while it may not have seemed like a typical next step, his current role running Trenary Home Bakery is the perfect combination of his life experiences.

“In between my deployments, I would look for businesses to purchase. The Michigan SBDC assisted me in finding a good fit for me, and the rest is history,” said Andy.

While the ownership of Trenary Home Bakery has changed over the past 90 years, the Trenary Toast recipe has not. To Andy, being located in the Upper Peninsula is what makes Trenary Home Bakery so unique. The product has both influenced the local culture and been influenced by it in return. People often tell Andy that they remember teething on Trenary Toast as a child, and have since passed that tradition on to their children and grandchildren.

“I don’t see myself as the owner of this business, the Upper Peninsula owns this business,” Reichert said. “I am the facilitator and I make sure it lives in perpetuity to pass it on after me.”

Andy appreciates the caliber of the training’s offered at the Michigan SBDC. As soon as he purchased Trenary Home Bakery, he began attending seminars and webinars. He has recently become involved with the Michigan SBDC’s new program, Step Up Your Business. This program works specifically with entrepreneurs in the Upper Peninsula.

“The training sessions that are offered by the Michigan SBDC are college business school level,” Andy stated. “All of the trainings are incredibly valuable and I enjoy participating in them.”

“Andy and I worked together during the purchasing phase of the Trenary Home Bakery years ago, and he has been a steady presence in the Trenary area ever since,” stated Michigan SBDC Business Consultant Lance Wolfe. “It is great to see him carry on the tradition that was established by the prior owner.  He is truly a joy to work with as he is very progressive in his thinking, always looking for ways to improve the company and continue to make it a wonderful place to work.”

Currently, Andy is focused on growing Trenary Home Bakery responsibly. While there are more opportunities to expand in Minnesota and Wisconsin, Andy wants to ensure that they are making the smartest moves possible.

“I think this business deserves to grow, but at the right rate. Rather than go off in many directions, we need to put in place the appropriate infrastructure first,” stated Andy.

Andy looks forward to preserving the heritage of Trenary Toast, ensuring it remains part of the U.P. community for years to come.

To learn more about Trenary Home Bakery, visit their website at: trenaryhomebakery.com

Published: May 11, 2018