“Elmer Chocolate will expand its Ponchatoula production facility by 70,000 square feet in a $40 million project, the company said Tuesday. Elmer Chocolate, which started in New Orleans in 1855 as the Miller Candy Corp., will also add 10 new jobs to its roster of 164 employees, according to a news release.”
New Orleans Times-Picayune
12-30-14
“Chocolatier Jacques Torres – or Mr. Chocolate – is one of Santa’s sweetest helpers… Fourteen years and eight shops later, this modern-day Willy Wonka has opened up a chocolate factory of his own…. Inside his “cool” 40,000 square-foot space, Torres and his team make almost everything they sell.”
CBS News
12-20-14
“The Barry Callebaut Group has completed the expansion of its Mona Lisa Chocolate Decorations factory in Hendersonville, N.C. The company hopes the expansion will help it become more prominent in the U.S. chocolate decorations market.”
CandyIndustry.com
12-10-14
“Ferrara Candy Company’s 747,152-square-foot, full-building commitment at Heitman’s 901 Carlow Drive in Bolingbrook not only ranks among the largest Greater Chicago-area industrial leases of 2014 but also represents one of the year’s most impactful commercial real estate transactions.”
REJournals.com
12-8-14
“To date, at least a half-dozen small-batch chocolate makers have set up their own roasting, molding or processing operations in a stretch of western Brooklyn extending from Williamsburg down to Sunset Park.”
Crain’s New York Business
11-17-14
“Bissinger’s Handcrafted Chocolatier has moved into a new 220,000-square-foot building that will house its corporate offices, production facilities an event space — The Caramel Room.”
Candy & Snack Today
11-5-14
“Revenues for the candy industry have grown at an annual pace of 2.9% since 2009 and are expected to hit $7.9 billion this year, according to a report from research firm IBISWorld.”
MarketWatch
10-30-14
“Halloween candy alone has run up a $2 billion tab every Halloween for the past three years. The National Confectioners Association is expecting candy sales to reach $2.5 billion this year.”
Examiner.com
10-31-14
“While many U.S. food companies are closing factories and cutting staff, Mars Inc. recently opened its first new chocolate factory in the country in 35 years to feed Americans’ seemingly boundless hunger for sweets….. The factory’s 500,000 square feet…include space for another three production lines so Mars can expand.”
Wall Street Journal
10-29-14
“Hershey on Wednesday reported a 5.8% increase in sales to $1.96 billion for the latest quarter.”
Wall Street Journal
10-29-14
“Both Mars and Hershey are enjoying the spoils of a market that has outpaced sales growth for other food products. Chocolate sales in the U.S. rose 3.2% last year compared with a 2.7% increase for total packaged food, according to Euromonitor—despite Americans’ growing interest in eating healthier.”
Wall Street Journal
10-29-14
“The U.S. confectionery market is expected to see about $6 billion in increased sales in the next five years, and premium products are driving the growth.”
CandyIndustry.com
10-29-14
“North Las Vegas — Snack maker RW Garcia Co. Inc. has begun operations in its newly opened 63,000-square-foot facility, which the company claims will expand production capacity sixfold, the company reports.”
Candy and Snack Today
10-29-14
“Mars Inc. plans to invest $31 million and add a research and development application center to its plant in Greenville [Miss.].”
BakingBusiness.com
10-27-14
U.S. chocolate “sales will climb to a record $17.75 billion this year, market researcher Euromonitor International Plc estimates.”
Bloomberg
10-23-14
“A giant chocolate factory and retail space is coming to Sunset Park’s Industry City, a sprawling 30 acres on the Brooklyn waterfront…. Under master chocolatier Anwar Khoder, Li-Lac will be both a factory and a destination as its chocolate production will be ‘completely visible’ to the public.”
New York Post
10-5-14
“Candy sales are expected to reach $2.5 billion this Halloween.”
Candy & Snack Today
9-30-14
“This month, [Nestle’s quality-assurance] lab celebrated the opening of an $11 million, 35,000-square-foot addition [in Dublin, Ohio] that dramatically increases the facility’s capacity.”
Columbus Dispatch
9-27-14
“If last year’s appetites for Halloween treats are any indication of this year’s sentiments, American food retailers are in for a treat. Last year, sales of seasonal Halloween chocolate candy reached $217 million, up 12%.
Marketing Daily
9-12-14
“Abdallah Candies has struck a tentative deal to buy land in Savage [Minn.] and build a $7.8 million manufacturing facility that’s twice as large as its current location. The Burnsville-based chocolate manufacturer has outgrown its 60,000-square-foot headquarters… The company has enjoyed steady sales increases since it moved there 13 years ago, even during the recession.”
Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal
9-10-14
“Kellogg Company will invest $15 million to expand its production facility in Muncy, Pennsylvania… The investment will result in the retention of 323 manufacturing jobs in Lycoming County.”
AreaDevelopment.com
9-3-14
“Swiss chocolate maker Lindt & Sprungli announced acquisition today of a 400,000-square-foot warehouse and distribution center in the Carlisle (PA) area.”
Central Penn Business Journal
8-28-14
“Yowie chocolates relaunched for US market 10 years after disappearing from Australian shelves.”
ABC (Australia)
8-14-14
“U.S. chocolate sales increased again in 2013, according to a report from Mintel, ‘Chocolate Confectionery – US.’ Overall, they grew 24 percent from 2008-2013. As for the future, Mintel forecasts that chocolate sales will increase another 14 percent from 2013-2018.”
CandyIndustry.com
8-13-14
“Hoffman’s Chocolate opening on Las Olas Boulevard.”
Sun Sentinel
7-30-14
“Hershey Co.’s quarterly profit rose 5.4%, as it sold more chocolate…The maker of Hershey’s Kisses, Reese’s and Kit Kat, said last week that it increased the wholesale prices of its candy by an average of 8% to make up for record cocoa and cocoa butter costs.”
The Wall Street Journal
7-24-14
“VernDale Products bets $20M on love of chocolate; Company’s new Detroit plant to expand dried-milk output.”
Crain’s Detroit Business
7-18-14
“Studebagels and South Bend Chocolate Co. plan to finalize Wednesday a joint venture that will both expand the product line at Studebagels and provide the local chocolate company with a new location near the University of Notre Dame.”
South Bend Tribune
7-15-14
“The nation’s third largest chocolate manufacturer [Russell Stover] tore down its 10,500-square-foot outlet in April and recently unveiled an approximately 12,700-square-foot expanded facility, the only one it operates in Florida.”
Daily Commercial
7-9-14
“Emporia, Kan., could have bragging rights as the Twinkie capital of the world. Its Hostess Brands plant, reopened last year and expanded this year, has added $30 million worth of improvements, including a $25 million bakery line to churn out more snack cakes.”
Kansas City Star
7-7-14
“Category sales for this past Easter holiday lapped the projected growth by more than one percent, as dollar sales grew 5.3 percent for the season, according to Sweet Insights.”
Candy & Snack Today
5-29-14
“Over the past couple of weeks, the already larger-than-life Las Vegas has gotten a big dose of candy, in the form of an 18-foot Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup and a 64-foot Hershey’s Chocolate bar tempting visitors on the Strip. The whole town gets a little bit sweeter with today’s grand opening of Hershey’s Chocolate World at New York-New York Hotel Casino.”
USA Today
6-2-14
“Thursday morning is the groundbreaking ceremony for Morinaga, a Japanese candy company establishing its manufacturing presence in Orange County [N.C.]”
Triangle Business Journal
6-3-14
“Godiva expands headquarters, takes more space [in Reading, Penn.]”
Philadelphia Business Journal
6-17-14
“Exports of U.S. chocolate confectionery rose to $288 million in the first quarter of 2014, compared to $260 million in 2013.”
NCA SmartBrief
6-20-14
“Wrigley plans to start making Skittles in Yorkville (Ill.), expanding its plant there and adding 75 full-time manufacturing jobs, the candy maker plans to announce on Wednesday.”
Chicago Tribune
5-28-14
“‘Mars has certainly grown the business and the major reason to build this new facility was capacity,’ Spangler says. ‘We’ve exceeded capacity at all our nine other facilities in North America. We wanted to address current needs as well as those for the next 50 years.'”
CandyIndustry.com
5-26-14
“In 2011, [Nassau Candy Distributors] planned a $2.25 million project to expand. Then, in 2013, the company planned a $14.7 million project to open a regional warehouse to free up space for more manufacturing. In both cases, New Jersey and Long Island vied for the business.”
Newsday
5-23-14
“When [Whimsical Candy] was launched [in 2008], Kadow-Dougherty sold exclusively wholesale. Within two years she expanded to include caramels and an e-commerce site. Last year she opened her first retail shop, which is also the production kitchen for wholesale. Now, she’s sharing La-Dee-Dahs with more than 70 specialty shops across the country.”
CandyIndustry.com
5-23-14
“With a waiting list of over 300 potential wholesalers, San Francisco’s Dandelion Chocolate is in big-time expansion mode. Dandelion will open a second, much bigger chocolate factory in the Mission, and will also roll out a kiosk at the Ferry Building next door in early June.”
San Francisco Chronicle
5-23-14
“The chewy candy category has grown nearly six percent over the last year, reaching $2.8 billion in total sales, according to data from IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm.”
CandyIndustry.com
5-22-14
“Candy industry experts report confectionery sales are faring better than figures in other retail food markets, with US shoppers snapping up nearly $34bn worth of sweet treats annually.”
ConfectioneryNews.com
5-22-14
“Krause’s Homemade Candy expanding to Glenville, NY.”
Albany Business Review
5-14-14
“Mondelēz to invest $40 million in Virginia bakery.”
BakingBusiness.com
5-14-14
“Berkshire Hathaway investors are probably already familiar with the awesome financial results from See’s Candies. See’s, which Berkshire bought in 1972 for $25 million, has generated $1.7 billion in cumulative pre-tax earnings.”
The Motley Fool
5-10-14
“The Plan Commission approved the site plan review for the expansion of Albanese Confectionery that could double the size of the facility.”
The Times
5-1-14
“Sweepy Group Products, which was incorporated in 2013, has announced plans to open a new 32,000-sq.-ft. factory in Miami Lakes, Fla. The plant is slated to manufacture snack packs featuring breadsticks and confectionery dips starting in the second quarter of 2014.”
CandyIndustry.com
4-30-14
“Keebler Co., a division of Kellogg Co., has been approved to receive $2 million in tax incentives from the Kentucky Economic Development Finance Authority to purchase new equipment and add manufacturing capacity at its Florence, Ky., facility.”
Food Business News
4-29-14
“Last year [Hershey Co.] captured 31 percent of the U.S.market in combined candy, mint and gum, while it dominated the chocolate market with a 44.5 percent market share. Revenues (and earnings per share) have continued to increase each year along with marketshare and at the end of last year the company was sitting on $1 billion in cash reserves. The 2014 outlook is also bright. This year Hershey expects net sales to increase between 5 and 7 percent; and earnings per share from 9 to 11 percent.”
The Patriot-News
4-29-14
“IT’SUGAR has 64 stores nationwide, including 13 in Florida… By the end of the year, [CEO Jeff Rubin] expects to have 80 shops in all.”
Miami Herald
4-27-14
“[The Hershey Company] continues to expect 2014 net sales growth of 5 to 7 percent.”
The Wall Street Journal
4-24-14
“The Dunmore Candy Kitchen is expanding to Scranton [Penn.], opening a new retail shop and kitchen on Davis Street in the fall.”
The Times-Tribune
4-18-14
“Elmer [Chocolate’s] candy sales so far are up over 10% from last year…”
WWL Radio
4-17-14
“Easter candy sales usually increase 1 percent to 3 percent each year, [National Confectioners Association spokesperson Susan Whitesides] said.”
Salt Lake Tribune
4-15-14
“In the United States, retail sales of chocolate used just in candy have risen from $13.3 billion in 2000 to $20.6 billion in 2013, according to the National Confectioners Association.”
Philadelphia Inquirer
4-14-14
“A Swiss chocolate manufacturer with an eye toward North American expansion has acquired the majority of stock in a Buffalo-area candy maker.”
Buffalo Business First
4-9-14
“Americans spend a massive amount on candy each year – on average, over $29 billion, a number that is expected to increase to $35 billion by 2016.”
B2C Marketing Insider
4-9-14
“Total U.S. confectionery sales this Easter season are projected to be $2.26 billion – up four percent from 2013.”
The Herald
4-9-14
“U.S. [convenience] stores’ sales grew 2.4 percent during 2013, reaching $204 billion…candy and snacks, which are included in center-of-the-store sales results, made up 9.9 percent of sales… confectionery sales grew 1.2 percent.”
CandyAndSnackToday.com
4-4-14
“The [Hobart, Ill.] City Council took a preliminary step Wednesday toward granting two tax abatements for Albanese Confectionery as it looks to expand its candy-making and retail business. …At a previous meeting, [Albanese CEO James] Dragon told the City Council the business is looking to expand its current building from 122,000 to 190,000 square feet. Dragon said the company grew almost 25 percent during the recession.”
The Post-Tribune
4-3-14
“A South Bend Chocolate Cafe is scheduled to open in mid- to late May in the heart of downtown Mishawaka… South Bend Chocolate has 18 stores (14 company owned) and four franchises in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.”
South Bend Tribune
4-2-14
Hershey ranked second on a list of the world’s 100 most powerful brands, beating out Apple, Disney, Johnson & Johnson, and American Express. Only Coca-Cola is more powerful, according to the CoreBrand survey of business executives.
Business Insider
3-27-14
“Rising demand for premium chocolate has spurred Lindt & Spruengli boost production at its U.S. headquarters by 8 to 10 percent, where it will start making high-quality treats for China for the first time…”
Reuters
3-27-14
“Confection affection: $270M plant shows Mars Inc. confident in Americans’ love of chocolate.”
Associated Press
3-27-14
“Study: Hershey fastest growing large [consumer packaged goods] company. Five confectionery and snack manufacturers ranked among fastest growing CPG lists created by Boston Consulting Group and IRI.”
CandyIndustry.com
3-26-14
“Pearson Candy Co., which has been making candy in Minnesota for more than 100 years, is expanding its St. Paul operations in a move that will create at least 40 local jobs.”
Minnesota Dept of Employment and Economic Development
3-26-14
“Flowers Foods, Inc. will open a bakery in Knoxville, Tenn., in late May. …The bakery initially will employ about 60, but the number is expected to increase to more than 100 as more production shifts are added, Flowers said.”
Food Business News
3-24-14
“2013 was a strong year for confections as the number of confectionery trips as well as the number of confectionerybuyers grew steadily, and new products added $890 million in sales last year alone. Chocolate, the largest confectionery segment, was up 3.6% over 2012, led by white chocolate with a growth of 14% and dark chocolate at 9%. Milk chocolate continues to hold the majority share of the confectionery market and added $409 million in sales versus a year ago. Seasonal sales performance was up 3.2%.”
SmartBrief
3-21-14
“‘In 2013, business was big, growing and profitable,’ said Larry Wilson, NCA’s vice president of customer relations. ‘The total confectionery market reached $33.6 billion in 2013–marking the sixth consecutive year of sales growth. …We predict continued growth for 2014.'”
CSP Daily News
3-20-14
“The long-standing chocolate company [Bissinger’s] is in the midst of spending $15 million renovating a 223,000-sq.-ft. building that will serve as its new headquarters in downtown St. Louis employing 100 people.”
CandyIndustry.com
3-12-14
“Lindt & Spruengli reported 24% net profit in 2013 and predicts 2014 growth to be in the 6% to 8% range. … The 8.6% sales gain in 2013 was driven largely by double-digit growth in North America.”
The Economic Times
3-11-14
“Construction of a new candy factory near Mebane [N.C.] will begin in a few weeks, Orange County’s economic development officer says.”
Chapel Hill News
3-11-14
“The company plans to build a 108,261-square-foot addition to its headquarters…The expansion is intended to add additional production lines for Lindt products and for Lindt’s sister company, Ghirardelli Chocolate.”
SeacoastOnline
3-6-14
“A spokesman for Albanese Confectionery revealed plans Wednesday to double, maybe even triple, the number of production lines at the candy maker’s facility. … the business is looking to expand its building [in Indiana] by 122,000 to 190,000 square feet.”
Post-Tribune
3-5-14
“The confectionery industry has seen 10 straight years of growth despite troubled economic times.”
The Gourmet Retailer
3-4-14
Blommer Chocolate Co. saw demand increase by double-digits last year and as a result, the company is expanding its processing capacity.
The Wall Street Journal
3-3-14
“Chocolate candy sales are predicted to grow $4 billion, or 19%, in the next five years, outpacing non-chocolate sales, which have a predicted growth rate of 13% or $1.3 billion, according to the National Confectioners Association. Chocolate sales hit $20.6 billion in 2013, growing 3.6% from the previous year, while non-chocolate candies increased 2.7% to $10.3 billion.”
The Wall Street Journal
3-3-14
“Snack maker Leclerc Foods USA has snapped up a building in Arizona and plans to invest $50m to expand its operations.”
Food Production Daily
2-17-14
“Mondelez International reported sales gains of 10% to 15% for its Sour Patch Kids and Swedish Fish products in 2013 in North America.”
Bloomberg Businessweek
2-14-14
“Global sales of chocolate confectionery will climb to a record in 2014, according to Euromonitor International Ltd.”
Bloomberg News
2-12-14
“Category dollar sales for this past winter holiday season grew 1.4%, totaling $3.96 billion…However, Larry Wilson, NCA vice-president of customer relations, notes that when excluding gum, which doesn’t have much seasonality, from the sales picture, overall category dollar sales grew 2.4% and units increased 1.2%.”
Candy & Snack Today
2-7-14
“Sales of packaged desserts and sweet baked snacks increased 2.5% between 2008 and 2012 to hit $13 billion in sales.”
QSR Magazine
2-4-14
“Hershey’s fourth-quarter net income rose 24 percent, bolstered by higher volumes in North America and internationally.”
Associated Press
1-30-14
“Total U.S. confectionery sales for Valentine’s Day 2014 are projected to be $1.057 billion, a 1.9 percent increase over 2013.”
NCA Press Release
1-29-14
“NCA: U.S. brands account for 33% of global confectionery.”
Candy and Snack Today
1-28-14
“Lindt & Sprungli chocolate plans big expansion in Stratham, [N.H.]”
SeacoastOnline
1-14-14
“Consumers never tire of candy. Euromonitor data indicates that U.S. dollar sales for chocolate increased 19% between 2007 and 2012, and non-chocolate sales were up 17%.”
Drug Store News
12-26-13
“Mars Chocolate North America will make $11.7 million in capital improvements to its Waco candymaking plant…”
Waco Tribune
12-20-13
“Nutkao USA…plans to invest $7.3 million in a plant in North Carolina for the manufacture of hazelnut butter spreads, cocoa and cocoa/nut spreads, milk and dark chocolate spreads.”
BakingBusiness.com
12-20-13
“Olive & Sinclair opens its doors at new factory on Thursday.”
The Tennessean
12-11-13
“US Halloween confectionery sales outshone expectations in 2013…confectionery sales grew 3.8% on last year to $4bn.
ConfectioneryNews.com
12-10-13
“North Carolina trio open bean-to-bar chocolate factory, providing locals high-end tastings and personalized tours.”
CandyIndustry.com
12-10-13
“98 percent of households purchase candy, spending $95.64 annually…And the candy category is growing; the market is currently at $32.7 billion, with $6 billion of growth anticipated over the next five years… Margins on candy sales are 37.1 percent at the front end, and a healthy 28.1 percent in the candy aisle.”
Progressive Grocer
11-25-13
“The Promotion In Motion Cos., Inc. has been named the 84th largest privately held company in the New York metropolitan market… The ranking is based on the candymakers’ anticipated sales gains of 22.2 percent for 2013 compared with 2012, with revenue expected to total $275 million.”
Candy & Snack Today
11-25-13
“[I]n-aisle confections are the third most profitable item in supermarkets behind gum and soup, generating 65 cents per unit in adjusted gross profit.”
Candy & Snack Today
11-21-13
“Sugar Factory grows exponentially in four years.”
CandyIndustry.com
11-18-13
“Pearson’s Candy Co. is looking to add 35 to 40 full-time jobs as the candymaker moves production of its newly acquired Bit-O-Honey line to St. Paul.”
St. Paul Pioneer Press
11-15-13
“Thanks to a recent influx of upscale candy stores, the West Village is fast turning into a real-life Willy Wonka Land… In the past seven months alone, more than three sugar-centric shops…have opened on Bleecker Street near Seventh Avenue, with even more expected in the neighborhood next year.”
Crain’s New York Business
11-14-13
“Thanks to a recent influx of upscale candy stores, the West Village is fast turning into a real-life Willy Wonka Land…. In the past seven months alone, more than three sugar-centric shops…have opened on Bleecker Street near Seventh Avenue, with even more expected in the neighborhood next year.”
Crain’s New York Business
11-14-13
“Kailua-based Madre Chocolate has opened its second Hawaii location, in Honolulu’s Chinatown, and has big plans for the new year.”
American City Business Journals
11-14-13
“Confectionery dollar sales increased 3.9 percent in the 52 weeks ending Oct. 6 from the same period a year prior…”
Candy & Snack Today
11-7-13
“The $10 million investment primarily involves the facility’s current expansion of its Twix production lines, which is scheduled to be completed by December 2014 and is expected to create four new part-time positions, according to a Mars Chocolate document.”
Chattanooga Times Free Press
11-6-13
“Inventure invests in Indiana snack plant.”
Food Business News
10-31-13
“Seattle Chocolate expands line, distribution.”
Candy & Snack Today
10-31-13
“The Chattanooga area makes up a big piece of a pie for the state’s candy sector, which has added hundreds of jobs across the state, and invested $127.7 million in new production since 2011, according to Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development.”
Chattanooga Times Free Press
10-31-13
“Mars announced a $74 million expansion in 2013 to its 650,000-square-foot Cleveland plant, which is the biggest manufacturer of M&M’s in the world. And McKee Foods made headlines when it bought Drake’s Cakes and added about 300 jobs in Collegedale. That company has hired nearly 800 workers since Nov. 2012.”
Chattanooga Times Free Press
10-31-13
“Halloween candy sales have a lot in common with Willy Wonka’s everlasting gobstoppers. Despite war, financial crises, stock market slumps, hurricanes and dental bills, they never seem to shrink.”
MarketWatch
10-31-13
“[Fran’s Chocolates] growth is at a steady 10 percent year over year, with this past summer seeing a 20 percent bump in retail.”
Puget Sound Business Journal
10-29-31
“Chocolate maker Bissinger’s secured $1.5 million in financing for the renovation of its new headquarters in north St. Louis.”
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
10-25-13
“Hershey’s profit jumps 32% as sales volume rises.”
Wall Street Journal
10-24-13
“France’s leading private label chocolate maker Cémoi sees little growth in the European chocolate market and hopes instead to promote its branded goods in Asia and in the developing US private label market.”
ConfectioneryNews.com
10-17-13
“O’Hara Township-based TruFood Manufacturing is expanding into a second facility, adding at least 100 jobs.”
Pittsburgh Business Times
10-16-13
“The Grand Rapids area churns out billions of cereal and snack food bars a year, along with products such as Cracker Jack, Bear Naked granola, Pop-Tarts, Rice Krispies Treats, Multi Grain Cheerios Peanut Butter cereal, Kashi brand granola and nut bars, Ralston snack mixes and confections under The Hershey Co. brand, such as Zagnut, Reese’s Crispy Crunchy, Mr. Goodbar and Cookies ‘n’ Crème.”
Crain’s Detroit Business
9-8-13
