Rose Cook Small
Encyclopedia
Rose Cook Small was a businesswoman who built Bluebird Foods Inc. into the largest meat-processing business in the United States
.
Rose Small was born and raised in Camden, New Jersey
, one of six children. She sold produce
on the street as a child to help support her family, and she dropped out
of school before finishing the tenth grade
.
She married Harry Cook at age 16. In 1933, when she was 21 years old, she and her husband opened a meat market. The business was a success, and the couple opened a second store and a meat packing house in 1936. The new store was destroyed by fire in 1937, and Cook used her engagement
and wedding ring
s as collateral
for a loan to rebuild it. With the loan, the couple established Bluebird, Inc., and reopened the store in 1940. Her husband died in 1950, and Rose continued to operate the business, learning all facets of meat packing and processing.
She remarried in 1960, taking the name of Small. By 1963, Bluebird had moved to a larger facility. The company went public
in 1968, by which time it was shipping two million pounds of meat per week. Over the following decade, Small acquired three more meat packing businesses, making Bluebird the largest meat-processing business in the United States. Companies acquired or owned by Bluebird included Mid-South Packers, Agar Packing Company, Patrick Cudahy Packing Company, and DAK, Inc. In 1980 she sold the business and retired.
In 1973, Fortune
listed Small as one of just 11 women among the United States' 6,500 highest-paid corporate officers and directors, then defined by an annual pay level of $30,000 or more. She was a 1977 recipient of the Horatio Alger Award of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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Rose Small was born and raised in Camden, New Jersey
Camden, New Jersey
The city of Camden is the county seat of Camden County, New Jersey. It is located across the Delaware River from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city had a total population of 77,344...
, one of six children. She sold produce
Produce
Produce is a generalized term for a group of farm-produced goods and, not limited to fruits and vegetables . More specifically, the term "produce" often implies that the products are fresh and generally in the same state as where they were harvested. In supermarkets the term is also used to refer...
on the street as a child to help support her family, and she dropped out
Dropping out
Dropping out means leaving a group for either practical reasons, necessities or disillusionment with the system from which the individual in question leaves....
of school before finishing the tenth grade
Tenth grade
In majority of the world,Tenth grade is the tenth year of school post-kindergarten. The variants of "10th grade" in various nations is described below.-Australia:...
.
She married Harry Cook at age 16. In 1933, when she was 21 years old, she and her husband opened a meat market. The business was a success, and the couple opened a second store and a meat packing house in 1936. The new store was destroyed by fire in 1937, and Cook used her engagement
Engagement ring
An engagement ring is a ring indicating that the person wearing it is engaged to be married, especially in Western cultures. In the United Kingdom, Ireland and North America, engagement rings are traditionally worn only by women, and rings can feature diamonds or other gemstones. In other cultures...
and wedding ring
Wedding ring
A wedding ring or wedding band is a metal ring indicating the wearer is married. Depending on the local culture, it is worn on the base of the right or the left ring finger. The custom of wearing such a ring has spread widely beyond its origin in Europe...
s as collateral
Collateral (finance)
In lending agreements, collateral is a borrower's pledge of specific property to a lender, to secure repayment of a loan.The collateral serves as protection for a lender against a borrower's default - that is, any borrower failing to pay the principal and interest under the terms of a loan obligation...
for a loan to rebuild it. With the loan, the couple established Bluebird, Inc., and reopened the store in 1940. Her husband died in 1950, and Rose continued to operate the business, learning all facets of meat packing and processing.
She remarried in 1960, taking the name of Small. By 1963, Bluebird had moved to a larger facility. The company went public
Public company
This is not the same as a Government-owned corporation.A public company or publicly traded company is a limited liability company that offers its securities for sale to the general public, typically through a stock exchange, or through market makers operating in over the counter markets...
in 1968, by which time it was shipping two million pounds of meat per week. Over the following decade, Small acquired three more meat packing businesses, making Bluebird the largest meat-processing business in the United States. Companies acquired or owned by Bluebird included Mid-South Packers, Agar Packing Company, Patrick Cudahy Packing Company, and DAK, Inc. In 1980 she sold the business and retired.
In 1973, Fortune
Fortune (magazine)
Fortune is a global business magazine published by Time Inc. Founded by Henry Luce in 1930, the publishing business, consisting of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated, grew to become Time Warner. In turn, AOL grew as it acquired Time Warner in 2000 when Time Warner was the world's largest...
listed Small as one of just 11 women among the United States' 6,500 highest-paid corporate officers and directors, then defined by an annual pay level of $30,000 or more. She was a 1977 recipient of the Horatio Alger Award of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans
Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans
The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans is a nonprofit organization based in Alexandria, Virginia, that was founded in 1947 to honor the achievements of outstanding Americans who have succeeded in spite of adversity and to emphasize the importance of higher education...
.