NAPLES, FLA. — Philip William Orth, former chairman of the Ph. Orth Co., a manufacturer of dry mixes, fillings and other bakery-related ingredients that was acquired in 1996 by CSM n.v., died Jan. 23. He was 90 years old.
Mr. Orth led Ph. Orth for more than 50 years until his retirement in 1996, at which time the Oak Creek, Wis.-based company was sold to CSM. Ph. Orth was founded in 1882 and at the time of the sale had manufacturing plants in Oak Creek and Spartanburg, S.C. The company eventually became part of CSM’s Ingredients division and operated as an independent company.
Mr. Orth was the first non-baker to serve as chairman of the American Institute of Baking. In addition, he was a vice-president of the American Society of Bakery Engineers, and president of the Baker Suppliers Association.
He served in both the Carter and Reagan administrations as a member of a Department of Agriculture Special Committee charged with increasing the consumption of wheat food products. He also was a director of McGlynn Bakeries, Minneapolis, and The Rose Co., Vancouver.
He received a bachelor of arts degree from Amherst College and a master’s degree in business administration from the Harvard University Business School. He also completed graduate work at the University of California-Los Angeles.