by Dan Perkins  

Good fun, good music and great fielding are all part of the All Star Summer; but this year, diversityinbusiness.com discovered a special baseball-related treat several days after the All Star Game festivities concluded.  A box containing an assortment of cookies arrived at our offices and it was quickly opened and the contents devoured by our hungry crew.  The cookies arrived compliments of Pati Drumm Grady, president and founder of the Cooperstown Cookie Company, located in Cooperstown, New York.

I met Grady during All Star Week, at a dinner for diverse suppliers hosted by Wendy Lewis, senior vice president of diversity and strategic alliances at Major League Baseball (MLB).  It was one of the many connections made during All Star Week, but one that left a very pleasant taste on several levels.

The Cooperstown Cookie Company makes shortbread cookies with imprints that resemble the stitching on baseballs.  The cookies, which come in a variety of sizes and flavors, are all natural, with no artificial colors or preservatives.  They are made from Grady’s family recipe, and contain only the highest quality ingredients.  As one colleague remarked, “you can taste the butter.”

The shortbread cookies first made their debut in October 2004, at the World Series Gala at the National Baseball Hall of Fame, which is located in Cooperstown, New York.  Ever since that introduction, the cookies have been celebrated in local, regional and national media.

Grady informed diversityinbusiness.com that the Cooperstown Cookie Company became certified as an MLB Diversity Business Partner this spring.  “We have also been approved as an MLB licensee (expecting to sign our agreement later this year) and as such, will be offering all major and minor league branding on our full product line,” said Grady. 

When the licensing agreement with MLB is signed, Cooperstown Cookie Company will offer club branded product to the public.  In the meanwhile, MLB has allowed Grady to market her products to clubs, who in turn use the cookies for promotional purposes or as give-aways during special events.  Included among the approved promotional items are the Triple Play Pillow Packs (team branded single-serve "grab & go" cookie bags shown below).  MLB Clubs can also order branded versions of Cooperstown Cookies, (as evidenced by the Red Sox gift tower shown further down on this page).

“Even before licensing, MLB has been a good customer for a number of years,” said Grady who pointed to the 2007 All Star Game as an example.  “Five thousand of our Ballpark Bunt Boxes (named "One of the newest and most innovative products in baseball in 2007" by Minor League Baseball) were distributed at the DHL FanFest and another three hundred fifty were included in all of the All Star VIP welcome baskets.”

One club that has really gone to bat for Cooperstown Cookie Company is the New York Yankees.  “The Yankees have also been big supporters - ordering from us regularly for their corporate events & special gift giving,” said Grady.

The Cooperstown Cookie Company offers a variety of cookie packages for club branding, such as the packages shown above that are branded for the World Series Champions, the Boston Red Sox.

Although the relationship with MLB represents a significant development for the company, Cooperstown Cookies are  carried by many retailers in the Cooperstown area.  The general public can purchase the cookies online at the company's website. Orders are usually processed in 2 to 5 business days, and overnight shipments are available at an extra cost.  The company offers a variety of gift packages and party favors to delight a wide array of baseball fans.

While the novelty and goodness of Grady’s cookies make them sure winners, there is more to the story than just the sweet taste of hearty treats.  diversityinbusiness.com invited Grady to share more of her story and she generously accepted.  We quickly discovered that the story behind the formation of the Cooperstown Cookie Company is as cute as the cookies themselves and the town the company calls home.

Baking on a Winning Recipe

Grady credits her husband, Kevin, a fourth generation Cooperstownian and avid baseball fan, with helping her come up with the idea of baseball-themed cookies. "Having seen a fair number of baseball related businesses come and go in Cooperstown, one day I asked my husband why no one had ever made baseball cookies," recalled Grady.  "It seemed so natural to me - two American past-times: eating cookies and playing baseball."

"I went onto the Internet and Googled baseball cookie cutters and found none,” said Grady.  As she pondered her next steps, Grady concluded that no simple recipe would do.  Her family had long cherished a very basic Scottish shortbread recipe and she knew that shortbread was easily shaped; so, Grady set out to make shortbread cookies that resembled baseballs.

"I took out a glass to use as a round cutter and then used a pastry crimper to add two inverted "C" shapes; hence the baseball stitching," said Grady detailing the genesis of her now famous cookies.  When she showed the first prototype to her husband, his response wasn't quite what she expected.  "He took out a tape-measurer and laughed," recalled Grady.  "He asked me if I realized my cookies were the actual diameter of a regulation size baseball." 

To make smaller versions of the cookies as samples, Grady used a shot glass.  A member of the research staff at the Baseball Hall of Fame – an individual who happens to provide the baseball trivia included in every cookie tin marketed by the Cooperstown Cookie Company - nicknamed the bite size cookies, Bunts. 

"Once I decided to develop the cookie business, I sought out a traditional tinsmith to build a cookie cutter from my design," said Grady.  "Our bakers still make the cookies by hand using different versions of the cookie cutter, including one that makes multiple baseballs.  They also have a rotary mould cookie machine that they use for very large orders."

Finding Productive Partners

As demand for Grady's cookies grew, she realized she needed to move the production away from her home.  She began looking for a local bakery and soon settled on a non-traditional option located approximately twenty miles outside of Cooperstown.

“Throughout the years, I used to visit Pathfinder Village, an extraordinary community devoted to the care of individuals with Down syndrome,” said Grady who had became familiar with the organization through articles in the local paper and through a PBS special.  The philosophy of care held by the staff resonated with Grady, and an on-site bakery drew her repeatedly to the Village's picturesque campus.  "They have a wonderful bakery and I used to stop there for lunch or to buy bread.  The bakery staff was always friendly and the baked goods were excellent,” said Grady.

The mission of the Village, as well as the professionalism of its bakers, combined in Grady’s mind to form a solution to her own operating dilemma.  "Once I started looking for a bakery to make my baseball cookies, Pathfinder Village seemed like a perfect fit,” Grady recalled.  “It is my understanding that the founders had created the bakery to serve as a 'window' to the local community.” 

Grady believed her emerging business could create a revenue stream for Pathfinder Village, and she had confidence that their bakers would provide a superior product.  "Every time I visited Pathfinder, I was struck by the loving commitment of the staff, the joy of the people who live there, and the beautiful setting," declared Grady.

A service agreement was reached with the bakery and Cooperstown Cookie Company quickly grow with the expert help.  Unfortunately, it did not take long before demand exceeded the capacity of the Pathfinder Village bakery. Grady and her team were again faced with a difficult decision.  This time they began the process of looking for a permanent solution.

Eventually they found a solution that satisfies Grady's high production standards.  Although the bulk of production has shifted to a commercial bakery, Grady remains committed to supporting Pathfinder Village, which was highlighted in a report on Grady's company produced by the Food Network.  "They filmed at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and also at Pathfinder Village," recalled Grady. "I am pleased that we've been able to help shine a light on Pathfinder Village and the important work they do."

Supporting worthy organizations such as Pathfinder Village is as much a part of Cooperstown Cookie Company as the natural ingredients that go into all of its products.  "Our commitment to social responsibility can be felt in all aspects of our company - our purpose, people and products," said Grady. 

Making Good Doing Good

The company's mission is "to make, distribute and sell premium all natural baseball cookies worldwide, provide superior customer service, and support the local community through strategic relationships with key not-for-profit organizations".

In assembling a team to run the business, Grady said she focused on identifying the best talent available.  According to Grady, her team consists almost exclusively of local freelancers - most are part-time moms including a graphic artist, illustrator, packaging experts, marketing professional, wordsmith, photographer, website developer, bookkeeper, and customer service representative. "All have world-class experience and credentials," said Grady.  "And all are collectively committed to working as a highly motivated, collaborative group."

Grady believes the camaraderie of her team enhances the quality of life for everyone involved with her operation. "It makes us happier people who, in turn, exude those positive feelings to those whose lives we touch," said Grady.

The story of Cooperstown Cookie Company is as American and inspiring as the cookies are good.  Ask Pati Grady about that and she will tell you it's not by accident.  "We are uncompromising in striving to create an all natural, great tasting and distinctively packaged product, using the best ingredients, with no artificial substances or additives," said Grady.  "From the start, Cooperstown Cookie Company has dedicated itself to doing well and doing good."

As evidenced by the smiles on the faces of our staff and the warm feelings that flowed from our exposure to Pathfinder Village, we can most assuredly say that Pati Drumm Grady and her team are living up to the company’s mission.

THE END