Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
Though Ross’ father, Norman, took over the running of the market in the 1970’s, she had no intentions of working in the family business forever.
“I was one of six kids, and we all grew up around the store,” Ross said. “But I wanted to go to college to become a nurse.”
After graduating from the Miami Valley School, Ross attended Sinclair Community College to begin training for her nursing career. Though she worked part time at Dorothy Lane Market in many positions, including customer service, throughout her college career, she ended up working as a nurse for 25 years, believing that it would be her forever career.
“My brother Calvin moved to New York and lived in Europe but came back ten years later to join my father’s company,” Ross said. “In 2013, my family’s brownie business was starting to grow.”
Ross’ grandfather was the first to develop the “Killer Brownie,” recipe in 1979. Always innovative, Calvin Mayne was one of the first people in the world to develop the concept of the “supermarket,” or large stores that sold all types of groceries as well as other items.
Credit: contributed
Credit: contributed
“In 1988, our family started working on different flavors, and trademarked Killer Brownie,” Ross said. “And today we have 12 core flavors and six rotational flavors.”
Ross should know. Today she serves as chief executive officer of the now Killer Brownie Company and returned to her family’s store in 2013 after presenting a business plan to her father and grandfather to help grow the business. She believed the specialized brownies that were and are unique to the world of brownies, were the key.
“We wanted to specialize in brownies,” Ross said. “We now have some with caramel and some without and we’ve added ingredients to elevate the brownie experience.”
Ross has been married to Matt Ross, who serves as the vice president of operations for the Killer Brownie Company, for nearly 30 years and the couple has three grown children. Over the years, the couple has helped take Killer Brownies to a whole new level, focusing on all natural ingredients and marketing an elevated experience.
“We partnered with Irresistible Foods Group (owners of King’s Hawaiian) in California to help us take our brownie nationally,” Ross said.
By last year, Killer Brownie was being distributed in 5,000 locations across the country. But Ross said they wanted to take it even further, by rebranding the product and “blowing up the brand,” with a new campaign and tag line - “Live a Little.”
“It’s such a different story now,” Ross said. “We were always innovative but now we are always looking for new flavors to help us tell this story.”
Ross admits that she always loved nursing and being a caregiver. But it was when she realized that she truly wanted to become part of the story of her family and be a caregiver of that brand, that she decided to switch gears.
“We were all a bit nervous about me making this huge career change,” Ross said. “But everyone had faith in me and were excited about the potential.”
Today, Ross embraces her leadership role and looks at it as an extension of caring for others, including her family and everyone who works for the company. This includes her own children, all of whom work for the company in some capacity and her daughter-in-law.
And Killer Brownies are still made at the same local plant in Miamisburg, where Ross has spent much of her time over the years admittedly “covered in chocolate.”
“I believe in setting an example and leading the way,” Ross said. “But I also make the decisions that protect and encourage everyone to be their best selves. Our vision is to be recognized as brownie specialists, by crafting the world’s most delightful experiences.”
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