Agnes Saghatelian

As the third-generation owner of Valley Lahvosh Baking Co. in Fresno, California, Agnes Saghatelian has done just about every job at the 101-year-old company.

She is the granddaughter of founder Gazair Saghatelian, who had been a master baker in his native Armenia before he launched a bakery offering traditional Armenian breads in 1922 in downtown Fresno.

The original bakery still stands, serving as the company’s lone retail store. Now Valley Lahvosh makes a range of breads, crackerbreads, and specialty and gourmet crackers for sale to retailers and foodservice operators all across the country, operating from a block-long manufacturing facility. The company also offers co-packing services and manufactures private-label products.

Agnes began going to food shows when she was young, traveling with her mother, Janet, who took over the company after Gazair died in 1982. Agnes began working full-time at the company in 1993 after graduating from college and worked side by side with her mother for several years before she passed away in 2010 and Agnes became president.

She has described the transition to running the company as having “big shoes to fill” in the wake of her mother’s passing. Janet Saghatelian had led the company’s expansion into novelty-shaped products, including its signature heart-shaped crackers. Janet had been a big fan of all things heart-shaped, Agnes explains, noting that the heart shape has even become a part of the company’s logo.

That led to the expansion into additional cracker shapes, including Christmas-themed crackers shaped like stars and Christmas trees.

Agnes has continued the baking traditions established by her mother and grandfather at the bakery and seeks to continually expand with new customers and new business opportunities. Her own daughter, now 15, may or may not want to follow in her footsteps, she says.

“My plan is just to keep working here, and to continue to grow the business,” Agnes says.