Susan Q. Davis Email & Phone Number

I was a young mother of five working part-time for a small madeleine bakery, Donsuemor. When the owner of the firm died I stepped in to run the company. I immediately set up a new management structure, introduced new accounting software, created the brand, introduced a new pricing structure, and negotiated a price increase with the world’s largest coffee company.Donsuemor immediately became profitable, growing organically to $10 million in revenue. We squeezed every bit of efficiency from our facility until it was out of space and capacity, then looked to expand. Avoiding nearly all debt, I located a proposed manufacturing development nearby (to retain employees and know-how), found an investor to purchase the new building, negotiated a lease, designed a state-of-the-art food-safe facility, completed construction on-time and on-budget, and moved production with no disruption to customers. To enable the next stage of growth I recruited an executive team, expanded our brand and marketing, and added new product-development capabilities to gain more high-volume customers. When the recession of 2008 hit, Donsuemor created new product for the local region of Costco. Sales far exceeded competition and our product became a staple in key Costco regions. By developing a new business model, production capabilities, and product, Donsuemor weathered the downturn, expanded rapidly, and once again was on profitable footing with no debt.Donsuemor was running 24/6 and approaching 200 employees when its owner decided to sell. I interviewed and selected an investment banking firm and began searching for a buyer. Working closely with the firm, I demonstrated Donsuemor’s value to potential purchasers. In 2016 Donsuemor was sold to St. Michel, a large French company, based on a multiple of forecasted EBITDA. The owner was thrilled at the sale price and the purchasing company was thrilled when our team beat sales and profitability forecasts following the company’s purchase.

Listed skills include Strategic Planning, Leadership, Product Development, Team Building, and 5 others.

• 

  Ceo

  Donsuemor

  Feb 1997 - Present

  Susan Davis is CEO of Donsuemor, Inc., the premier provider and market leader of traditional French madeleines in America. She has more than two decades of leadership, management and operational experience in specialty food manufacturing. She joined Donsuemor in 1987 working side by side with the owners. Since assuming the head of the company in 1997, she has led it from a regional specialty producer to a nationwide company supplying blue chip coffee houses and supermarket retailers. Her commitment to reaching the highest ethical and operational standards in every aspect of the business has awarded the business a reputation for excellence.