{"id":399815,"date":"2023-10-26T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-26T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/?p=399815"},"modified":"-0001-11-30T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"-0001-11-29T14:00:00","slug":"A-legacy-of-grit-and-determination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.saipantribune.com\/index.php\/A-legacy-of-grit-and-determination\/","title":{"rendered":"A legacy of grit and determination"},"content":{"rendered":"

Born from the ashes of World War II and out of the need to help provide sustenance to a community still reeling from the ravages of war is Herman\u2019s Modern Bakery\u2014Saipan\u2019s mecca for baked bread, pastries, and home-grown cooking. The fact that it is still a successful business with 79years in operation under its belt is a testament to the grit, tenacity, and passion of the bakery\u2019s original founder, Herman R. Guerrero, and generations of his family.<\/p>\n

All things Herman\u2019s are well loved as their baked products find their way to the homes of local families here and overseas every day of the year. From their rosku to their Chamorro cookies to their blueberry cream cheese log, which is a bestseller among those bringing a taste of home to relatives living anywhere outside of Saipan, to the coconut macarons and Herman\u2019s signature sweet bread\u2014this bakery has it all. It is not surprising at all then, that the CNMI\u2019s first family-owned business is still going strong after more than seven decades in the local food industry business.<\/p>\n

The story of Herman\u2019s Modern Bakery\u2019s success can be traced to the family patriarch, Herman R. Guerrero, who in 1944, was asked by the U.S, military to use his baking skills to bake bread for its personnel who were helping the islands recover in the aftermath of World War II.<\/p>\n

According to local lore, Herman R. Guerrero was originally tapped to bake bread solely for U.S. military personnel stationed on post-war Saipan. It was Gregorio Sablan, the grandfather of current congressman, Delegate Gregorio Kilili C. Sablan (D-MP), who recommended Herman R. Guerrero to the U.S. military, based on Guerrero\u2019s baking experience as an apprentice baker at the Shimada Bakery in Garapan prior to the war.<\/p>\n

Once the war ended, the demand for more bread supply also grew. This time, aside from supplying bread to U.S. military personnel, there were some prisoners of war and, by large, the residents of Camp Chalan Kanoa, who needed to be fed. The elder Guerrero originally worked at the military bakery, which was then housed at the site of the current Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium in Susupe and supplied hundreds of bread daily for practically all y77residents of post-war Saipan.<\/p>\n

In 1945, Herman, with the help of his wife, Maria C. Tenorio-Guerrero, opened the bakery, backed by the encouragement and help of the U.S. military.<\/p>\n

Herman was given surplus baking equipment from the U.S. Navy and supplies to continue to operate the bakery, which was originally located near the Chalan Kanoa post office. He was also encouraged to charge 5 cents for every loaf of bread that he sold. With this, Herman\u2019s Bakery became the first business to be established in Micronesia immediately after the war.<\/p>\n

Since the time it opened, Herman\u2019s Modern Bakery has remained in the hands of Herman R. Guerrero and his direct descendants. In 1972, the Guerreros\u2019 sixth child, Juan T. Guerrero, otherwise known as Juan Pan and his wife, Roberta, came back to Saipan and took the helm of the business. Juan Pan was Herman\u2019s Modern Bakery\u2019s president and general manager for several years until he passed the latter position to his younger sister, Annie Hayes, the ninth sibling in the family.<\/p>\n

With 31 years at Herman\u2019s, Hayes retired in March 2022 as its general manager, a position she held for eight years. Following the grit and determination set by her parents, Hayes, upon her retirement, assisted with expanding the bakery business to include a catering division, wholesale, Herman\u2019s Bakery, Tan Marakita\u2019s Caf\u00e9, Herman\u2019s Garapan outlet, and the Public School System\u2019s Food Service. Beginning with just a handful of employees, Herman\u2019s Modern Bakery now employs a staff of over 100 personnel.<\/p>\n

Nowadays, the bakery is being managed by the third generation of Guerreros, with the 37-year-old Michael Robert Guerrero, a son of Juan, serving as general manager.<\/p>\n

Among the most noteworthy milestones in its history is the official incorporation of Herman’s Modern Bakery in 1976 and the move of the bakery\u2019s main facilities to its current location at the Tun Herman Pan Road, formerly known as Airport Road, in 1979.<\/p>\n

Also in January 1979, Herman\u2019s expanded a small area in the main facility into a caf\u00e9 known for serving local comfort food and meals as part of the new bakery location.<\/p>\n

By the fall of 1981, Herman’s launched its food services at the Mount Carmel School cafeteria and, two years later in 1983, Herman\u2019s was approved for a broader PSS contract to provide meals in Saipan school cafeterias.<\/p>\n

In 1982, Herman\u2019s cold storage and wholesale divisions were launched to augment and complement the growing demand from the company\u2019s food services operation.<\/p>\n

Due mainly to its growth as a business with an eye on diversification, Herman\u2019s joined forces with another local company and a Denmark-based company in 1984 to form Pacific Rainbow, with the goal of providing reconstituted milk to the islands. While this venture lasted only about two years, it proved that Herman\u2019s was a company that embraced innovation to expand its business interests.<\/p>\n

In March 1995, Herman\u2019s was chosen by McDonald’s of Saipan to produce its patented bun recipe and sometime during the same year, Herman\u2019s introduced one of its most loved baked products, the Chamorro cookies.<\/p>\n

In addition to the family\u2019s successes in its bakery business, the Guerreros were also known for their generous spirit\u2014a virtue that has been passed on to every generation of the family. Story has it that the Guerreros still gave away bread to those in need.<\/p>\n

It is also widely known that Maria, lovingly known in local circles as Tan Marakita, always had food to share with those who visited their home.<\/p>\n

For years, the Guerreros provided the Mercedarian Sisters of Saipan their bread supply even after they were able to make their own provisions. Also, a little-known fact about the couple is how their generous donation was a tremendous help in the reconstruction of the Mount Carmel Church in Chalan Kanoa.<\/p>\n

The Guerreros\u2019 legacy of giving to the community that has supported them through the years continues even until today. Herman\u2019s Modern Bakery\u2019s commitment to corporate social responsibility can be seen through their generous financial aid and support for community and government programs that touch the lives of every resident of the Northern Marianas. The company is one of the most notable contributors to the governor\u2019s yearly fundraising golf event, the Tournament of Champions, the proceeds of which are used to fund the numerous beautification programs on the islands.<\/p>\n

Another big contribution Herman\u2019s Modern Bakery makes is in helping educate public and private school students by allowing them to visit their facilities to learn about bread-making, while student apprentices from the Northern Marianas Technical Institute are given use of their bakery to enhance their cooking and baking skills.<\/p>\n

Beyond contributing to the development of the local food industry, Herman R. Guerrero\u2019s legacy of giving has also inspired four of his children to become public servants\u2014Juan \u201cJuan Pan,\u201d Herman \u201cJun Pan\u201d T. Guerrero Jr., Florencio \u201cBobby\u201d T. Deleon Guerrero, and Joseph \u201cLee Pan\u201d T. Guerrero have each served as members of the CNMI House of Representatives.<\/p>\n

Aside from being a former lawmaker, Juan T. Guerrero himself was also a member of various government boards and one of his most noteworthy accomplishments is being one of the members of the CNMI Retirement Fund board of trustees. Under this capacity, Juan T. Guerrero introduced reforms that saw major changes in the way retirement contributions were distributed to retirees.<\/p>\n

Herman Jr., on the other hand, is an advocate of education and the humanities and has won national distinction for his work in preserving Chamorro culture.<\/p>\n

The family\u2019s generosity also trickles down to their employees, some of whom have been with the Guerreros for more than 20 years. One of them was Ernesto Lineses, the baker on whose hands the Guerreros entrusted the recipe to their iconic sweet bread. Many of Herman\u2019s employees are loyal, old-timers\u2014 bakers and staff who have stayed with the family not just out of duty but because they have found responsible employers who care for their employee\u2019s welfare and well-being.<\/p>\n

All things Herman\u2019s are well loved as their baked products find their way to the homes of local families here and overseas every day of the year.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Herman R. Guerrero Sr., whose baking skills were the anchor behind the success of Herman\u2019s Modern Bakery as the oldest standing business in Micronesia, is known for his grit and generosity.<\/p>\n

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Herman R. Guerrero, known in local circles as Tun Herman Pan (pan means bread), and his wife, Maria T. Guerrero, who is Tan Marakita, are the couple behind Herman\u2019s Modern Bakery. The Guerreros are known for their business acumen as well as for their generosity to the church and the community.<\/p>\n

-CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
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The old fa\u00e7ade of Herman\u2019s Modern Bakery at Tun Herman Pan Road, formerly known as Airport Road).<\/p>\n

-CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
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Herman\u2019s Modern Bakery mixes traditional baking process and modern technology to produce the bread and baked goods Herman’s has been known for the past 79 years.<\/p>\n

-CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
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Herman\u2019s Modern Bakery mixes traditional baking process and modern technology to produce the bread and baked goods Herman’s has been known for the past 79 years.<\/p>\n

-CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
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<\/p>\n

Albert Tenorio, left, and Herman R. Guerrero Sr. are the first generation of Guerreros who worked hard to make Herman\u2019s Modern Bakery what it is now today\u2014a family-owned business guided by the principles of hard work and determination, forever grateful to the local community that has supported their bakery business since it opened its doors in 1945.<\/p>\n

-CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
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Even with their success, the Guerrero family had always opened its business in support of education. The doors of Herman\u2019s Modern Bakery was always open to students who want to learn the process of bread making directly from the CNMI\u2019s breadmasters.<\/p>\n

-CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
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