Milling & Baking News - October 25, 2016 - 7

Editorial

John Paterakis a true builder

lthough the baking operations and local real
It was from that effort that Mr. Paterakis cultiestate projects launched and guided over the vated his handshake relationship with McDonald's,
years by John Paterakis are private family- making him the sole eastern supplier of hamburgowned enterprises, almost everyone in baking and near- er buns to the chain. McDonald's was just getting
ly everyone who lives in Baltimore know of him and his started and eventually became the largest fast-food
amazingly successful career on learning of his death at operator in the world. His bun business experienced
the age of 87. From the viewpoint of baking alone, where parallel record growth, prompting him to put that
operations he built almost from scratch are widely ad- business into a newly-named Northeast Foods. By
mired by even his fiercest competitors, he is regarded the early 1970s, the company was operating mulas among the, if not the, most successful builder in the tiple large bun plants that continued to grow in orpast 70 years. That he often referred to himself as "the der to supply the chain with an expanding menu of
little Greek baker" speaks powerfully to his refusing to baked foods. The business now encompasses more
claim success beyond what has occurred as the result of than twenty baking plants.
good fortune combined with
Coincident with building
That he often referred to himself
hard work. This is the attitude
the largest privately-owned
as 'the little Greek baker' speaks
of a man universally respected
baking business in America,
for what he accomplished in a
powerfully to his refusing to claim
Mr. Paterakis started extendlife dedicated not just to finan- success beyond what has occurred as ing his family interest to real
cial success but also to standing the result of good fortune combined estate. For his fellow citizens
tall on behalf of his business, in
in Baltimore, he emerged as
with hard work.
baking, and the prosperity of
a risk taker willing to invest
the city where he was born and lived.
in a rundown neighborhood like the old harbor area.
Mr. Paterakis did have the advantage of growing He was invited by Baltimore's mayor of some years
up in a bakery and in the midst of a retail business ago to help develop an area that had been abandoned
started by his father, known as Steve Paterakis, and by another entrepreneur in bankruptcy. Out of that
his brother-in-law, Harry Tsakalos. They had migrat- undertaking evolved H&S Properties Development
ed to the United States from Greece, turning to baking Corp., which continues active in the Baltimore area
as the way they knew to make a living. It is Harry known as Harbor East. Including the area now called
and Steve who account for the H&S Bakery name that Baltimore's Gold Coast, the property has two large
continues to this day. John Paterakis worked in the hotels operated by Marriott and Four Seasons, new
business during his youth, gaining firsthand knowl- office buildings and apartment and condominium deedge of dough and becoming a full-time employee on velopment. Just started is a $170 million project that
finishing high school.
will be anchored by a Whole Foods grocery.
The business was still mainly retail when John PatLocal obituaries underscore how active Mr. Pateraerakis took control following his father's death in 1953. kis was in Baltimore and Maryland state politics. It is
He pursued growth by expanding reach of the origi- important to note that Mr. Paterakis also was honored
nal plant by acquiring space where he installed baking by being named to the American Society of Baking's
equipment. He quickly saw the limits of being a re- Hall of Fame as well as similar recognition given him
tailer and changed the company's focus to wholesale in Baltimore. In receiving such honors, he typically
baking, prompting the negotiation of supply arrange- said "thank you" and nothing more. Now needed is
ments with several newly-established grocery chains. suitable appreciation for this man who set a standard
Here he pioneered in arranging exclusive bread supply for business acumen, industry leadership and civic reagreements with a group of sandwich retailers.
sponsibility like we have hardly ever seen. MBN
MORTON SOSLAND, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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