Gimmee Jimmy's Cookies
 | This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. (October 2009) |
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| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | West Orange, New Jersey (1983) |
| Founder | Jimmy Libman |
| Headquarters | , |
Number of employees | 20 |
| Website | http://www.gjcookies.com |
Gimmee Jimmy's Cookies was founded in 1983 in West Orange, New Jersey, United States, by Jimmy Libman. Born deaf, Libman overcame his "disability" to run the cookie company by himself for more than 20 years. To supplement his work, Libman hired other deaf workers, offering them a place to hone their skills, and showing everyone that being deaf is not a limitation on success.
History
[edit]Under Libman, Gimmee Jimmy's Cookies focused primarily on Christmas-season gift tins, serving individual and corporate customers. All production was accomplished in a small facility on South Valley Road in West Orange. Libman eventually sold the company to a group interested in expanding the Gimmee Jimmy's Cookies brand from gift tins to a full retail-store experience. This group then opened two retail stores, known as Gimmee Jimmy's Cookie Bars, in Montclair, New Jersey and Livingston, New Jersey, respectively. The Cookie Bars married Gimmee Jimmy's Cookies with coffee and desserts, including cupcakes and muffins. The economic downturn of 2008 forced the group which had purchased the company from Libman to go out of business.
In 2009, Gimmee Jimmy's Cookies was revived when it was purchased by a group based in Sarasota, Florida, which intends to grow Gimmee Jimmy's Cookies into a nationally recognized brand. The following steps have been and are being taken to improve the business:
- The original recipes first used by Mr. Libman in 1983 are being revived for use today.
- The under-performing retail stores were shuttered.
In 2014, Gimmee Jimmy's Cookies moved online, opening a large bakery in Inwood, New York, near John F. Kennedy International Airport, to facilitate faster shipping. Headed by Freeman Lewin, Gimmee Jimmy's Cookies has returned to its routes of gift tins and corporate gifts and technology enabling large corporations to order en-masse. Since 2014, Gimmee Jimmy's Cookies has been featured in Inc, Business Weekly, and Inquirer, and on BuzzFeed.
To re-claim the do-good nature of the company from its founding, the new owners formed the Gimmee Jimmy's Children's Foundation, to steer a portion of company proceeds to cheering children who are hospitalized with pediatric diseases. In addition to the Gimmee Jimmy's Children's Foundation, the company is heavily involved in fundraising opportunities for schools, places of worship, and other non-profits.
Gimmee Jimmy's Cookies are certified under the OK Kosher Certification and the Volover Rav; Gimmee Jimmy's is pas Yisroel, and cholov Yisroel if dairy is used.
References
[edit]- "New Gourmet Bakery Opens in Hawthorne, NJ". prlog.org.
- "Giveaway! Gourmet Cookies from Gimme Jimmy's Cookies!". Playgroundforparents.com.
- "Market and Price". Small Business Administration. Retrieved October 19, 2009.
- Patterson, Gregory (November 12, 1985). "HELPING THE DEAF TO START AND OPERATE THEIR OWN BUSINESSES". The Boston Globe.
- "'High-Tech Deaf' Runs Things at Jimmy's". Ocala Star Banner. April 14, 1985. p. 11B.
- "Deaf N.J. Cookie Baker's Got a Light Touch". Philadelphia Daily News. April 13, 1985.
- Rothschild, Karen (May–June 1998). "Jewish Deaf Business". JDCC News. Jewish Deaf Community Center. Archived from the original on 2009-01-06.
- "Gourmet-Cookie Bakers Do Their Jobs In Silence". The Blade Toledo. April 15, 1985. p. A15.
- Perlow, Maris (May 4, 1995). "Hearing-Impaired Cookie Maker Has Recipe for Success". Los Angeles Times. p. D6.[dead link]
- "A N.J. Bakery Where Flashing Lights Are A Key To Owner and Staff's Success". The Philadelphia Inquirer. May 7, 1995. p. L04.
- Myerson, Allen (October 9, 1993). "INVESTING; Gearing Up for Trading The Computerized Way". The New York Times. Retrieved October 19, 2009.
- Messina, Nick (March 18, 2010). "Gimmee Jimmy's makes up a variety of sweet treats". NorthJersey.com. Archived from the original on September 10, 2012. Retrieved March 18, 2010.
- "Gimmee Jimmy's Cookies donating to the United Way". NorthJersey.com. September 2, 2010. Retrieved December 29, 2011.