Community Highlights: Meet Sarah Bieber of Discount Bakery Equipment

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Bieber. 

Hi Sarah, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I grew up in a very tight-knit Catholic family of 6 in the small town of Dorr MI. Being the only girl of my siblings I believe built character! My Mother stayed at home with us kids – while my dad worked at the family company my grandpa started back in the late ’80s (1987 if I believe correctly). My childhood was filled with family camping trips, swimming at grandma and grandpas, playing in the backyard with my brothers & friends, and bike rides through our small neighborhood. 

When we were around 10-12 yrs. old my dad would allow us to tag along to the office with him every once in a while, to do small jobs for extra cash to spend. We would organize files alphabetically; label mailing flyers & do some basic cleaning. I would always get to go to McDonald’s for lunch with Dad and Grandpa on the days we worked at the office – an added bonus! I remember my mom brought me to the mall and I bought a pair of pink rollerblades from Gander Mountain with my very first “paycheck”. 

When I was 15, I got a job working at the local grocery store, Dick’s Market, just up the road from our house. I had a close group of friends I got to work with after school and on the weekends. We all stayed fairly close until the end of high school when we ventured off to do bigger and better things. 

I moved out at 18 the year after I graduated high school in 2012 with 4 of my close friends from the neighborhood to Kalamazoo. It was quite the culture shock going from a small town to a city like Kalamazoo – 45 mins away from my family and what I was familiar with. I got a Job at Best Buy working in the Home Theater Sales department where I learned a lot about sales, people, and working outside of my comfort zone. 

After a year or so I started looking for a second job for additional income and somewhere with advancement opportunities. I always loved sales as I come from a family who always working in sales and (not to toot my own horn or anything) it was something I had become pretty good at! My friend who worked in the back room got me an interview at Eddie Bauer. I loved the management team and got the job! Deb, the GM, was AWESOME she taught me so much about becoming comfortable in what I was good at and really helped me with my confidence in sales. After being offered an associate manager position at Eddie Bauer I quit Best Buy. 

Around this same time (2014) I was approached by my grandpa, Dad & Brother Dan and asked if I would consider working at Discount Bakery Equipment part-time. Instead of filing papers and cleaning they wanted me to help with sales! It wasn’t a hard decision and I started working both part-time jobs at Eddie Bauer and DBE. I was happy working both and I loved working with my family after working/living away from them for a couple years. 

January 1st, 2015, I quit Eddie Bauer and started working full-time with DBE. Grandpa retired the same year I started full-time. My position had turned into a lot more than just sales. I had taken on our shipping logistics, website/online orders, and managing our online presence. I’ve been learning, adapting, and improving ever since! Life kind of fell into place after that. Started dating my husband and bought my first house in Otsego MI 2016. Married in Sept 2018. Had my daughter in May 2021 and expecting out son April 2023! 

As with any family business it comes with its ups and downs. We’ve had our moments of natural siblings butting heads but all in all I love working with my family and it offers many more benefits than downsides. I’ve gotten see a different side of my Dad I don’t think most daughters get to see. We are coworkers as much as we are Dad/Daughter and I try to soak in all he can teach me about business ins and outs every day. He’s patient, honest, and hardworking. He and my brother dedicate long hours to this business day and day out. I’m lucky to be a part of it while also raising my own family. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
For the most part, it was pretty smooth. The hardest transition was moving away and finding my own way for a few years after moving out. When I started working full time it was an adjustment to “work” with family as opposed to just casually spending time with them. Having a social relationship as well as a business relationship and keeping them separate when needed. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Discount Bakery Equipment?
We are considered to be a niche in our field specializing in full-service bakery equipment solutions; selling both new and used/rebuilt. We are best known for our rebuild/refurbished equipment; specifically, donut systems for orchards/farm markets and custom-painted planetary mixers. We are proud to be known all around the country for our quality of rebuilt equipment such as dough dividers, dough sheeters, pie presses, cookie depositors, donuts fryers, planetary mixers & more. We offer a warranty that stands behind all of our fully rebuilt equipment which most dealers do not. 

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
It was interesting to see how the market shifted when the pandemic hit. We did not close and worked completely through the storm. It was slow to start but slowly picked up as the months went by. Small bakeries were ordering dough sheeters and bread equipment due to the demand for bread. Grocery stores were still ordering equipment as people still needed to eat. It was sad to see a few customers have to close that just couldn’t handle the shutdowns and constantly added restrictions here in Michigan. Staffing is still an ongoing issue that most customers including ourselves deal with. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://discountbakeryequip.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/discountbakeryequip/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bakeryequip/ 

Image Credits
Megan Merren