Schmidt Baking Company is a bakery in Baltimore

Baltimore

Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...

, Maryland

Maryland

Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

, U.S.A. The company makes Schmidt's Blue Ribbon and Schmidt's Old Tyme Breads and, as a licensee

Licensee

A licensee is someone who has been granted a licence.- Tort law :The term is used in the USA law of torts to describe a person who is on the property of another, despite the fact that the property is not open to the general public, because the owner of the property has allowed the licensee to enter...

 of the Quality Bakers of America Cooperative, bakes and distributes Sunbeam Bread

Sunbeam Bread

Sunbeam Bread is a franchised brand of white bread, rolls, and other baked goods owned by the Quality Bakers of America cooperative. The bread products are produced and distributed by eight regional bakeries located in Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Pennsylvania,...

 in its territory.

It was founded in Baltimore, Maryland in 1886 by Elizabeth and Peter Schmidt at their house using recipes from their native Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

. The company now has more than 800 employees and makes several varieties of bread, most prominently white bread

White bread

White bread is made from wheat flour from which the bran and the germ have been removed through a process known as milling. Milling gives white flour a longer shelf life by removing the bran which contains oil, allowing products made with it, like white bread, the ability to survive storage and...

.

Its 1970s and 1980s advertising jingle

Jingle

A jingle is a short tune used in advertising and for other commercial uses. The jingle contains one or more hooks and lyrics that explicitly promote the product being advertised, usually through the use of one or more advertising slogans. Ad buyers use jingles in radio and television...

 was "I like bread and butter, I like toast and jam, I like Schmidt's Blue Ribbon Bread, It's my favorite brand", which was derived from The Newbeats

The Newbeats

The Newbeats were a popular music vocal trio, best known for their 1964 hit, "Bread and Butter", which was released on the Hickory Records label.-Members:The group's members were:*Larry Henley...

 1964 song

Song

In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...

, "Bread and Butter".

There was a major fire at an empty building owned by the company on Fitch Lane in Fullerton, Maryland

Fullerton, Maryland

Fullerton is an unincorporated community in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States.There was a major fire at an empty building owned by the Schmidt Baking Company on Fitch Lane in Fullerton in April 2008.-References:...

 in April 2008.

In 1941, the company was cited by the National Labor Relations Board

National Labor Relations Board

The National Labor Relations Board is an independent agency of the United States government charged with conducting elections for labor union representation and with investigating and remedying unfair labor practices. Unfair labor practices may involve union-related situations or instances of...

 for failing to engage in collective bargaining with its employees.

The company sponsored the Preakness Stakes

Preakness Stakes

The Preakness Stakes is an American flat Thoroughbred horse race for three-year-olds held on the third Saturday in May each year at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. It is a Grade I race run over a distance of 9.5 furlongs on dirt. Colts and geldings carry 126 pounds ; fillies 121 lb...

 pre-race parade

Parade

A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...

 in Baltimore for three years.

In 1996, the company was the subject of an IRS lawsuit

Lawsuit

A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...

 regarding when vacation pay and severance pay can be considered deferred compensation

Deferred compensation

Deferred compensation is an arrangement in which a portion of an employee's income is paid out at a date after which that income is actually earned. Examples of deferred compensation include pensions, retirement plans, and stock options...

 by a company in its tax return

Tax return

A tax return is a tax form that can be filed with a government body to declare liability for taxation in various countries:* Tax return * Tax return * Tax return * Tax return...

s. The resulting ruling on this case was used in proposed changes to the law.