Cakes Across America LLC, the baker’s answer to flowers by wire, moved into its new home at the Flagler County Airport.
The company, that has operated in Flagler County for the last 6 years and began some 14 years ago in Orlando, provides a network of independent bakers across the nation to deliver cakes and other baked goods to order to many areas of the United States.
The Flagler County Board of County Commissioners, members of the Flagler County Chamber of Commerce, employees and friends gathered March 20 to officially dedicate the new building at the airport. The 3,000 square foot building is owned by Flagler County and leased to the firm. The company was formerly located in a 600 square foot storefront in Flagler Beach.
Fran Greene, chief executive officer of the company told the group at the ribbon cutting that the move to Flagler County “was one of the heart. I love Flagler County.”
Greene said she got the idea for the unique business in the sixties when she was a sales person in the male dominated field of electronics. “ I sent flowers to a customer for his birthday and it was like the shot heard around the world. In the sixties women didn’t do things like that,” Greene said. “That’s when I thought it would be nice to be able to send something other than flowers, like a cake.”
Some twenty years later an opportunity presented itself and Greene launched Cakes Across America. The firm takes orders from around the world and through a network of bakers can have cakes and other baked goods delivered to individuals and corporations. The company is on the web at www.cakesacrossamerica.com. The new office serves as a call center and currently employs nine people with room to expand.
Greene said there is no problem getting employees, “We have a waiting list of people who want to work here.”
Construction of the building at 145 Airport Road was completed in February. It was constructed by Nooney Construction Inc. of Jacksonville. The project was funded in part by a Small Community Development Block Grant of $513,900 awarded to Flagler County from the Department of Community Affairs. Flagler County contributed $140,000 for construction. The expansion will allow the company to add an additional 23 full time jobs with 18 of them available to low and moderate income residents.
Flagler County Commission Chairman Jim Darby, addressing the crowd at the ribbon cutting ceremony, said the project was a good example of what the county can accomplish working with existing business to provide infrastructure and work with the company to expand it’s workforce.
