Michael Bushnell
Publisher

In today’s market, a case could easily be made against Joseph Loose for collusion and the sharing of trade secrets when, as a Board Member of National Biscuit Company, he liquidated his shares in Nabisco, resigned from their board and started the Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company in Kansas City with his brother Jacob Loose and John H. Wiles in 1902.

Over the next decade, the company grew exponentially, opening factories in Boston and New York. In 1912, Loose-Wiles opened their “thousand window” bakery in the Long Island City community in New York. For over 50 years, it was the world’s largest baker until it was closed in 1965 when production was moved to New Jersey. In 1946, the company officially changed their name to Sunshine Biscuit after decades of legal battles trying to copyright the term and name.

This postcard is one of a series of 30 such postcards produced by the Loose-Wiles Biscuit Company to be used by salesmen calling on their customers in the field. Each card in the set shows a different area of the factory, including the hard candy room, the biscuit making floor, a section of the general office and, of course, the dipping of hand-made chocolates prior to delivery.

The back of the card has a line for the prospective client, the salesman’s name and a tentative date the salesman would be through their town. The back of the card shown was mailed by Robert Smith to Geo. Kenderswort of Lincoln, Kan.

Loose-Wiles products were named for similar products produced by their largest competitor, Nabisco.

For example, Nabisco’s first individually packaged cracker was named Uneeda, and Loose-Wile’s cracker was Takhoma.” Loose-Wiles made “Trumps Cookies.” Nabisco produced “Aces.” Sunshine Biscuit had “Animal Crackers” and “Toy Cookies.” Nabisco produced “Barnum’s Animals.”

In 1966 Sunshine Biscuit was sold to the American Tobacco Company who then flipped it to G.F. Industries. In 1996 it was merged with the Keebler Company which was later sold off to Kellogg’s. In April of 2019, Kellogg’s spun off Keebler to Nutella owner Ferrero. The plant at 801 Sunshine Road in the Fairfax District of Kansas City, Kan. still operates under Kellogg’s banner.