Albanese Candy facts for kids
Albanese Candy logo
|
|
| Introduced | 1983 |
|---|---|
Albanese Candy is a company that makes delicious candies. It's located in Merrillville, Indiana, in the United States. Scott Albanese started the company in 1983. They are famous for making yummy gummies and tasty chocolate treats. Many people say they make "the world's best gummies!" As of 2022, about 700 people work there. Their candies are sent to 41 different countries around the world.
Contents
Who Started Albanese Candy?
Scott Albanese is the person who started Albanese Candy. He was born in Dolton, Illinois. Scott learned to work hard from his family. They worked in construction and restaurants. This strong work ethic helped him a lot.
He got the idea for his candy business by buying candy ingredients. He saw a chance to create something special. Even though it was the 1980s, he decided to go for it. Scott believes that making high-quality candy is key to success. In 2018, he received a special award. It was called the Lifetime Achievement Award.
How Albanese Candy Grew
In 1995, the Albanese factory in Merrillville was small. It had only about 10 to 12 employees.
New Candy-Making Ideas
In 1998, Albanese created a new way to make gummies. This method makes the flavors in the gummies much stronger. They use a special process with corn starch. Only a few candy makers in the U.S. use this method.
Albanese sells a lot of gummies every day. They sell over 300,000 pounds of gummy bears daily! They are known for many gummy shapes. You can find gummy worms, butterflies, and even green army soldiers. In 2006, they made very long gummy snakes. These snakes were 27 inches long and had many colors.
Candy for Soldiers
In 2003, Albanese sent soldier-shaped gummies to Iraq. These candies were given to soldiers there. Later, the company made new gummies. These were shaped like military airplanes. They included planes like the B-2 Spirit and the F-15 Eagle.
New Factory and Store
In late 2004, Albanese opened a huge new factory. It was 350,000 square feet big. They also opened a candy store next to it. This new location is in Hobart, Indiana.
The Hobart factory used to offer tours. In the entrance, there was a giant chocolate fountain. It was 32 feet tall and was the biggest in the country. This fountain was removed during a renovation in 2020.
In 2014, Albanese gummies were part of an art display. They were used in a huge stained glass window mural. This mural was shown in a museum in Tokyo, Japan. Also in 2014, the company spent $16 million. They used this money to make their retail store much bigger. It grew to 190,000 square feet.
In 2017, the company announced big plans. They would add 150 new jobs in Hobart. They also planned to invest $33 million into the Hobart location. The city of Hobart helped them with tax breaks. The company said they would have 550 employees there.
Awards
- In 2006, Albanese won an award. It was for a new technology. They found a way to put healthy omega-3 fish oil into gummies.
- In 2020, their Ultimate 8 Flavor Gummi Bears won a special award. It was the Consumer Choice Award for Food and Beverage.
See Also
Images for kids
-
Albanese Candy logo
