The owner of an iconic West Michigan-based windmill cookie brand is passing the torch to his grandsons as he looks to transition into retirement.
In the sale finalized Oct. 3, brothers Brandon and Brent Voorhees formed Steenstra’s Cookies LLC to acquire the brand from their grandfather, Harold Voorhees, who’s also been a longtime fixture in West Michigan government at the local, county and state level.
Brandon Voorhees, who also co-owns Grand Rapids-based Eastern Kille Distillery, said he’s always been aware of his grandfather’s legacy, which was a huge part of his formative years.
“As long as I can remember, this cookie has been a big part of our family, a big part of our community and a really big part of grandpa’s legacy,” Voorhees said. “Around town, he was known as ‘The Cookie Man.’ I would wander the town with him and he’d be handing out cookies to people.”
Four years ago, Voorhees said he knew he wanted to one day carry on the Steenstra’s brand. He had a conversation with his grandfather, letting him know he was interested in the company, hoping that when the day came he would be considered to take over the company.
“I was always interested,” he said. “I loved watching him grow (Steenstra’s). My father was an entrepreneur, I’ve been a business owner now for eight years or so. So it’s something that I’m passionate about.
“This brand and the depth that it has within this family and community resonated with me, and I wanted to see if we could take it further.”
Voorhees aims to carry on the brand while his grandfather enjoys a well-earned retirement.
He will operate the business as majority owner and managing member, while his brother will be a silent partner. Brent Voorhees plans to leverage his expertise as vice president of sales at retail distribution service Serv U Success to help take the cookie company to new heights.
Kentwood-based law firm Visser and Associates PLC advised both buyer and seller throughout the transaction. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
History
The Steenstra’s story began in the early 1900s, when Tjalling (Charles) Steenstra, his wife, Guetje (Grace) and their eight children immigrated to the United States from the Netherlands. They brought with them a family recipe for speculaas, a Dutch spiced cookie traditionally served on St. Nicholas Day, molded in the shapes of a boy and girl, St. Nicholas, a windmill, rooster and owl that together tell the legend of St. Nicholas.
The Steenstra family arrived in Grand Rapids in 1926 and opened their first bakery in Wyoming in 1947, where they established the iconic “windmill cookie” brand. The bakery burned down in 1988, after which the company suffered and was purchased by Harold Voorhees in 1994.
Voorhees continued the Steenstra family legacy, keeping the original recipe and cookie press when he took over the business.
Now, after nearly 30 years as the owner of parent company Cookies Unique LLC, Voorhees, 85, plans to retire.
“It has been my privilege and pleasure, together with my wife Joanne, to carry on the history and tradition of Steenstra Cookies,” Voorhees said in a Facebook post announcing the sale to his grandson. “We have loved to hear from people who have shared with us their memories of enjoying Steenstra Cookies as children together with their grandparents and who are now enjoying Steenstra Cookies with their own grandchildren. What a joy to be a part of something that is loved across so many generations.”
Harold Voorhees added that he trusts his grandson to continue the high standard he set for the iconic brand, and is “confident in (Brandon’s) ability to lead the company into a prosperous future.”
Next steps
For Brandon Voorhees, taking on the iconic windmill cookie brand means stepping into his grandfather’s shoes, using the lessons he learned from him over the years with a goal of taking the Steenstra’s brand one step further.
“One of the biggest things I learned from my grandfather is (that) it all comes down to just treating people with integrity and respect,” Voorhees said. “My grandpa has done that for as long as I’ve watched him interact with people and I hope that I have done that a fraction as well as he has.”
Voorhees added that “gramps was beloved by a lot of people,” and he hopes he and his brother can follow in his footsteps.
As co-owner of Eastern Kille in addition to Steenstra’s, Voorhees will have plenty to keep him busy. The distillery is currently building out a $4.2 million headquarters, distillery, bar and restaurant project at 7755 Childsdale Ave. NE near Rockford, which is nearing completion.
“It’s all about having great people around you,” Voorhees said. “My job is to put our brands and our products in places to succeed, and I think we should be able to do that with both of these brands.”
While he mentioned there is “added pressure” knowing his grandfather will be watching where the business goes next, Voorhees said he’s hoping he and his brother can build on the legacy of Steenstra’s.
Their goal is to grow the Steenstra’s brand beyond what their grandfather achieved. However, Voorhees said they plan to take growth one step at a time, ensuring it feels “very organic, and very earned.”
Steenstra’s cookies have been made with the original Steenstra’s recipe at Creme Curls Bakery, Inc. in Hudsonville since 1998, Voorhees said. The cookies are sold widely throughout Michigan, including Meijer stores in six states and SpartanNash stores such as D&W Fresh Market, Family Fare and Family Fresh Market in Minnesota, Nebraska and Wisconsin. The cookies also are sold at numerous small grocery retailers and specialty stores in West Michigan.
“As I became a young adult and got into my own career, people would recognize my last name as affiliated with the ‘Cookie Man.’ I just thought it’s really cool,” Voorhees said. “The brand itself is iconic and the way my grandfather grew it and honored the tradition of the cookie was really something spectacular. I feel a lot of honor and pride being able to follow in his footsteps the best that I can.”
