Ferrara Candy Company facts for kids
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Confectionery |
| Headquarters | Chicago, Illinois, US |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
| Brands | Brach's • Lemonhead • Chuckles • Now and Later • Bobs Candies • Trolli USA • Nerds • Black Forest • Sathers • Red Hots • Atomic Fireball • Super Bubble • Rainblo • Jujyfruit • Jaw Busters • Fruit Stripe • Boston Baked Beans • Heide Candy Company • Baby Ruth • Butterfinger • Crunch • Chunky • Laffy Taffy • Raisinets • Oh Henry! • 100 Grand • Trolli |
| Parent | Ferrero |
The Ferrara Candy Company is an American candy maker. It is based in Chicago, Illinois. The company is owned by the Ferrero Group.
Ferrara Candy Company started in 2012. Two candy companies joined together then. These were the Ferrara Pan Candy Company and Farley's & Sathers Candy Company. Ferrara makes many popular candies. Some of these are Lemonheads, Atomic Fireballs, and Red Hots. They also make Brach's, Chuckles, and Now and Later.
In 2017, the Ferrero Group bought Ferrara Candy Company. Later, in 2018, Ferrero also bought many U.S. candy brands from Nestlé. Ferrara now makes and sells these candies. Some examples are Butterfinger, Crunch, Baby Ruth, and Laffy Taffy.
In 2019, Ferrara moved its main office to Chicago.
Contents
The Sweet Story of Ferrara Candy
How Ferrara Candy Company Started
The Ferrara family were bakers in Italy. Salvatore Ferrara came to New York in 1900. In 1908, he opened a bakery in Chicago. It was in the "Little Italy" neighborhood. He sold "confetti," which are candy-coated almonds. These were popular at Italian weddings.
Soon, candy sales became bigger than pastry sales. Salvatore Ferrara teamed up with his two brothers-in-law. Their names were Salvatore Buffardi and Anello Pagano. They built a two-story building to make more candy. The second floor had big spinning kettles. These kettles made "pan candy." The candy would drop through a hole to the shipping area below.
In 2012, the Ferrara Pan Candy Company joined with Farley's & Sathers Candy Company. Even though Ferrara Pan was smaller, the new company was named the Ferrara Candy Company. Salvatore Ferrara II became the new company's leader.
Ferrara Candy Today
Ferrara Candy has its main office in Chicago, Illinois. It has seven factories in the U.S. and Mexico. It also has many places to store and ship candy across the United States.
The company makes a lot of candy! It sells most of the mellowcreme candies in the U.S. It is also the biggest maker of candy canes. Ferrara sells the most conversation hearts. It also makes a lot of the jelly beans eaten in the U.S. The company has many special machines called "starch moguls." They make about 1 million pounds of gummy candy every week. Ferrara Candy Company employs around 6,000 people.
Popular Candies from Ferrara
Here are some of the well-known candies made by Ferrara:
- Atomic Fireball: This is a round, cinnamon-flavored hard candy. It was invented in 1954. It's like a jawbreaker. The outside is bright red, and the inside is white.
- Black Forest: These are fruit juice snacks and treats. They come in fun shapes like Gummy Bears and Gummy Worms.
- Bobs Candies: This brand makes soft mints, candy canes, and mint "lumps."
- Boston Baked Beans: These are peanuts covered in a sweet sugar coating.
- Brach's: This brand makes many famous candies. Some are candy corn, Conversation Hearts, and Jelly Bird Eggs. They also make malted milk balls.
- Chuckles: These are soft, chewy jelly candies. They are covered in sugar. They come in five original colors and flavors.
- Fruit Stripe: This is a fruit-flavored chewing gum. It was first made in the 1960s. It also comes in a bubble gum version.
- Jaw Busters: This is the original jawbreaker, first made in 1919. As you suck on them, they change color and flavor. Each of the five layers is different.
- Jujyfruits: These are small, chewy, fruit-flavored candies. They come in different fruit shapes. Flavors include raspberry, orange, and lemon. Jujubes are a firmer candy. They have classic flavors like lemon, violet, and cherry.
- Laffy Taffy: These are rectangular taffy candies. Each wrapper has a joke on it. Flavors include banana, strawberry, and grape.
- Lemonhead: These round, lemon-flavored candies started in 1962. They have a sweet coating and a soft, sour shell. Other kinds include Appleheads and Grapeheads.
- Nerds: These tiny, pebble-like candies have a crunch. They usually have two flavors in one box. Each flavor has its own section.
- Now and Later: These are bite-sized squares of taffy. They come in many fruit flavors. You can find them in bars or assorted jars.
- Rain-Blo: These were the first bubble gumballs ever made. The color on the outside matches the flavor inside.
- Red Hots: These are small, cinnamon-flavored candies. Ferrara Pan Candy Company created them in the 1930s.
- Super Bubble: This bubble gum was first made in 1946. It comes in original, grape, apple, and watermelon flavors.
- Trolli (U.S.): These are gummy candies that are both sour and sweet. They come in fun and unusual shapes.
