Ganong Bros. facts for kids
 |
|
| Privately held company | |
| Founded | 1873 |
| Founder | Gilbert W. Ganong & James H. Ganong |
| Headquarters | One Chocolate Drive St. Stephen New Brunswick Canada |
|
Number of locations
|
Offices: Moncton, New Brunswick Toronto, Ontario Vancouver, British Columbia |
|
Key people
|
David A. Ganong, David Pigott, Marc Lefebvre |
| Products | Confectionery |
|
Number of employees
|
400+ |
Ganong Bros., Limited is Canada's oldest candy company. It was started by two brothers, James and Gilbert Ganong, in 1873. Their first factory was in St. Stephen, New Brunswick, and the company is still there today.
Ganong is famous for its boxed chocolates. They were the first company in North America to sell chocolates in heart-shaped boxes! Today, Ganong also makes many chocolates for Laura Secord stores.
Contents
A Sweet History: Making Candy
Ganong Bros. Limited has played a big part in Canada's chocolate story. They were pioneers in the candy world.
First Chocolate Bars
Imagine a time before chocolate bars! Arthur Ganong was the first person to create a wrapped chocolate bar. Ganong started selling these new chocolate bars in 1910. This made it much easier to enjoy chocolate on the go.
In 1920, they gave one of their chocolate bars a special name: "Pal-o-Mine". This bar is still made today!
Heart-Shaped Boxes
Ganong was also the first company in North America to introduce heart-shaped boxes of chocolates. These pretty boxes were first sold during the Christmas season. People loved them so much that they became very popular for Valentine's Day too.
Factories and Growth
Over the years, Ganong opened different factories. In 1911, they bought another candy company in Saint John, New Brunswick. They ran a factory there until 1931.
Later, in 1990, Ganong opened a brand new factory in St. Stephen. It's even located on a street called "Chocolate Drive"! This factory still makes delicious treats today. The old factory building found a new purpose. It became the Chocolate Museum, where visitors can learn all about the company's sweet past.
Meet the Leaders of Ganong
For most of its history, a member of the Ganong family has led the company.
- James H. Ganong, co-founder
- Gilbert W. Ganong, co-founder
- Arthur D. Ganong, president from 1917 to 1957
- R. Whidden Ganong, president from 1957 to 1977
- David A. Ganong, president from 1977 to 2008, and again from 2012 to 2014
- Doug Ettinger, president from 2008 to 2012
- Bryana Ganong, president from 2014 to today
In 2015, Bryana Ganong became the first female CEO of the company. She is part of the fifth generation of the Ganong family to work there.
The Chocolate Museum
Want to learn more about chocolate? Ganong's long history is shown at its Chocolate Museum. It opened in 1999 in their old factory building in St. Stephen, New Brunswick.
At the museum, you can learn about the Ganong brothers and how they started the company. There are fun, hands-on displays that show how chocolate and candies were made in the past and how they are made now. You can also see old chocolate boxes and antique candy-making tools. And yes, you can even taste chocolate samples!
The museum also helps host the yearly St. Stephen Chocolate Festival. This festival has been held since 1985. Because of its sweet history, the town of St. Stephen was even named "Canada's Chocolate Town" in 2000.
Popular Ganong Products
Ganong makes many different kinds of candies and chocolates. Here are some of their well-known products:
- Chicken Bone—This unique candy was created in 1885. It has dark chocolate inside a cinnamon-flavored candy shell.
- Delecto—These are classic boxed chocolates, first made in 1917.
- Hillcrest—This brand offers assorted chocolates and chocolate cherries.
- Pal-o-Mine—This is Ganong's oldest product, first made in 1920. It's a soft bar with fudge, coconut, and peanuts, all covered in dark chocolate.
- Red Wrap—This is a large box of assorted milk and dark chocolates. It's usually available during the Christmas season. It used to be called "Ganong's Best," but people started calling it "Red Wrap" because of its red packaging, and that name stuck!
- Sunkist—Since 1997, Ganong has been allowed to make Sunkist fruit-flavored candies.
See also
- Laura Secord Chocolates
- List of food and beverage museums
- Purdy's Chocolates
