Bimbo Bakeries didn’t have a signed noncompete from executive Chris Botticella when he left to join competitor Hostess Brands. And there was no evidence he shared any of Bimbo’s trade secrets with his prospective new employer.
But Botticella had something Bimbo was willing to fight for – the recipe for Thomas’ English Muffins and how the popular breakfast bread gets its signature “nooks and crannies.” Botticella was one of only a handful of Bimbo executives who knew how to replicate many of Bimbo’s products and he knew much of the company’s plans for marketing, production and cost control.
