Flowers Foods is one of the largest producers and marketers of bakery products in the United States. Our goal is to provide value to our shareholders. We are accomplishing this through our core strategy, which is to be a leading producer and marketer of bakery products available to customers through multiple channels of distribution. Our strategy focuses on responding to current market trends and changing consumer preferences with new bakery foods and by providing outstanding service to our customers. To support our core strategy, we have aggressively invested capital to modernize and expand our production and distribution capacity and increase efficiency. We also have invested in state-of-the-art information technology.
Our Bakeries Group produces and markets fresh breads, rolls, buns, and snack cakes to retail and foodservice customers in the Southeast, Southwest, and Mid-Atlantic States, including Washington D.C. These products are delivered through a direct-store-delivery (DSD) system that uses approximately 3,000 independent distributors who own the rights to sell certain brands of our bakery products within their respective territories. We use information technology to enhance the productivity and efficiency of our production facilities and our DSD system.
Our Specialty Group produces and markets frozen breads, rolls and buns for national retail and foodservice customers as well as snack cakes for co-pack, retail and vending customers nationwide.
Flowers Foods has a leading presence in the major product categories in which we compete. Our Bakeries Group's brands have a leading share of fresh packaged branded sales measured in both dollars and units in the more than 20 major metropolitan markets we serve. Those brands include Nature's Own, Cobblestone Mill, and Blue Bird as well as regional franchised brands, such as Sunbeam and Bunny. Our Specialty Group's products are marketed primarily under the Mrs. Freshley's and European Bakers brands.
