Steve O’Donnell – 10/2/10
Managing Partner, Hill Country Bakery
Steve O’Donnell grew up in the Bakery business and currently has 34 years of experience. While working his way through college in New York City in 1976, Steve took a summer job working in the local Wonder Bread Bakery loading trucks. It was only supposed to last the summer; eight years later Steve was the Assistant Production Manager of the plant, which had 350 employees.
Along the way Steve obtained a business degree (BBA) from the City University of New York’s Baruch School of Business in June 1984 and graduated with a Baking degree from the American Institute of Baking in 1985.
In 1987, Steve had the opportunity to join the H.E. Butt Grocery Company in San Antonio, Texas at their Sweet Goods Bakery. After three years of being in charge of production, Steve was promoted to General Manager and began to develop products and sales programs for the companies 300 in-store bakeries along with P&L responsibilities for a 40 million dollar a year facility.
In 1996, Steve left HEB to open his own business. In 1997 Steve and his two partners founded Hill Country Bakery. Today Hill Country Bakery employs over 500 people and has sales in excess of 100 million dollars and has grown into one of the premier Frozen Bakery manufacturers in the United Sates. In July of 2007 Hill Country Bakery was selected as the Bakery of the Year by Wholesale Bakery Magazine.
Steve is currently on the Board of Directors for the West Side Development Corporation. He is also a trustee for Our Lady of the Lake Univestiy.
He is a past Board Chairman of the Volunteers Services Council for the San Antonio State School.
Steve along with his business partner David Nolan helped fund and provide initial support to the Achievers School here in San Antonio. The Achievers School is dedicated to provide alternative education to children with Special Needs.
In addition to being a Partner and founding member of Hill Country Bakery, he is also a Partner and founding member of the Trinity Surgery Center, a Surgery Center who’s primary purpose is to provide Dental and Ambulatory Surgery for people with special needs. It is slated to open in late fall of 2010.
Steve enjoys his Pets, snow skiing, swimming, traveling, reading and staying active.
Hosts,
Bjorn Dybdahl of Bjorn's
John Thurman of Heart of Texas Realty
Scott Woolfolk of Documation
Sponsors
