Albanese Candy facts for kids
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| Industry | Confectionery manufacturing |
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| Founded | 1983 |
| Founder | Scott Albanese |
Albanese Candy is a company that makes delicious candies! They are located in Hobart, Indiana. Scott Albanese started the company in 1983. Albanese Candy is famous for its yummy gummies and tasty chocolate-covered treats. As of 2022, about 700 people work there. Their candies are sold in 41 different countries around the world.
Contents
The Story of Albanese Candy
How Albanese Candy Started
Albanese Candy began as a small candy shop in Merrillville, Indiana. At first, they sold roasted and coated nuts that they made themselves. Soon, they started selling their nuts to other places nearby. By 1995, the company had grown to have about 10 to 12 employees.
Making Amazing Gummies
In the mid-1990s, Scott Albanese wanted to make gummy bears with even stronger fruit flavors. He worked hard to create a special way to do this. By 1998, Albanese Candy started making its own gummy candies. They use a unique system that coats candy trays with corn starch. Only a few candy makers in the United States use this method!
Albanese Candy is especially known for its many kinds of gummies. Their store in Hobart sells gummy worms, butterflies, and even green army soldiers. They have many other fun shapes and flavors too! In 2006, the company introduced very long multicolor gummy snakes. More than 300,000 pounds of gummy bears are sold every single day!
Gummies for Soldiers
In 2003, Albanese Candy sent its soldier-shaped gummies to Iraq. These special candies were given to soldiers who were serving there. Later, the company created a new line of gummies shaped like military jet aircraft. These included planes like the B-2 Spirit and the F-15 Eagle.
A Big Factory and Store
In late 2004, Albanese Candy opened a huge factory and an outlet store in Hobart, Indiana. The factory is about 350,000 square feet! The Hobart factory used to offer tours where people could see how the candy was made. In the entrance hall, there was a giant chocolate fountain. It was 32 feet tall and the largest in the country!
In 2014, the company spent $16 million to make its retail store even bigger. The store expanded to 190,000 square feet. Also in 2014, a special art display was made from Albanese gummy bears. It was shown in Tokyo, Japan, from January to April.
In 2017, Albanese Candy announced a big expansion plan for their Hobart location. They planned to spend $33 million and hire 150 more employees. This showed how much the company was growing!
