Cook Specialty

Cook Specialty Co., Inc. was started out of necessity in 1970. Elaine Cook was an instructor of cake decorating at Waukesha County Tech. At that time the only place you could get supplies was Chicago or Minneapolis, so Henry Cook would drive there to get supplies for her classes.

With a small inheritance they purchased a little shop and client list in Milwaukee and with the help of their children, daughter JoAnne and son Lynn, opened a retail shop in Hales Corners, Wisconsin. In 1972 they moved the store to West Allis, Wisconsin and since retail wasn't enough for the entrepreneur's, Henry started selling wholesale to bakeries throughout Wisconsin. In 1976 Brad Aldridge married Joanne and joined the company. They put a motorhome on the road selling products and supplies until 1983 when gas was too high and UPS was cheap. Since then the company has grown to become a major distributor for many fine companies selling quality products to quality clients.