In 1933, Henry H. Braum (Bill Braum’s Father) leased a converted house and used it as a small butter processing plant located in their hometown of Emporia, Kansas. A year later, the owner built a new 25×80 foot building so...more

In 1940, Henry Braum expanded the business to include ice cream processing. In 1945, Bill Braum arrived at the University of Kansas and enrolled in Engineering School. After only one semester, he found his calling and enrolled in Business School....more

In 1952, Bill and his father sold the wholesale part of the business. They purchased an old Kraft Cheese Factory that they remodeled into an ice cream and processing plant and began specializing in milk and ice cream. They developed...more

In 1961, Bill Braum purchased the company from his father and bought his first dairy farm in Emporia. In 1967, Bill grew the chain to 61 stores and increased the business tenfold. He then sold the “Peter Pan” retail stores...more

In 1971, a new 60,000 square-foot processing plant was built in Oklahoma City. By 1975, the Braum’s dairy herd, the largest dairy herd in Kansas moved to Oklahoma. This “modern day cattle drive” consisted of over 900 cows travelling down...more

Bill and Mary Braum purchased several farms in southeastern Oklahoma including Stonewall, Asher, Wanette and Byars.  Each of the farms played a unique role in the Braum operation, from growing feed for the dairy herd to raising each new generation...more

In 1993, Braum’s construction crews built what is touted as one of the largest milking operations of its kind in the world. Built on the Tuttle Farm, it consists of a milk barn and 17 freestall barns (covering 35 acres)...more

In 2002, Braum’s construction crews built a milking complex on the Follett Farm. Although smaller than the milking operation in Tuttle, the private dairy herd at Follett provides thousands of gallons of fresh, raw milk each day. This milk is...more

In 2010, Braum’s built a new 240,000 square-foot bakery and warehouse distribution facility adjacent to the processing plant on the Tuttle Farm. Also that year, Bill Braum designed and built a “cow trolley” to transport the dairy herd to and...more