Jelly Belly facts for kids
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Formerly
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| Subsidiary of Ferrara Candy Company | |
| Industry | Confections |
| Founded | 1869 in Belleville, Illinois, U.S. |
| Founder | Gustav Goelitz |
| Headquarters | Fairfield, California |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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Herman G Rowland Sr., Chairman |
| Products | Jelly beans, candy corn, mellocremes, gummies, jells, chocolate confections |
| Revenue | $190 million |
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Number of employees
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800 |
The Jelly Belly Candy Company is a famous American company that makes Jelly Belly jelly beans and many other types of candy. For a long time, it was known as the Herman Goelitz Candy Company.
The company's main office is in Fairfield, California, and it has another factory in North Chicago, Illinois. In October 2023, the Jelly Belly company was bought by the Ferrara Candy Company.
Contents
History of the Company
How It All Started (1866–1913)
The story begins in 1866 when a man named Gustav Goelitz moved to the United States from Germany. In 1869, he started his own candy-making business in Belleville, Illinois. Soon, his younger brothers joined him.
In 1898, the company started making a creamy type of candy called "mellowcreme." A popular candy called candy corn is a type of mellowcreme. The Goelitz company became very good at making and selling these candies. The business grew, and by 1913, it had moved to North Chicago.
Creating the Famous Jelly Bean (1913–1980)
Gustav's son, Herman Goelitz, moved to the West Coast and started his own business, the Herman Goelitz Candy Company. By the 1960s, his company was making many new candies, including jelly beans.
In 1965, they created a special "Mini Jelly Bean." What made it so new and exciting was that it had flavor on the inside and on the outside shell.
Around this time, Ronald Reagan, who would later become president, discovered the company's jelly beans. He loved them so much that he once wrote a letter in 1973 saying, "we can hardly start a meeting or make a decision without passing around the jar of jelly beans."
In 1976, a candy seller named David Klein worked with the company to create a new kind of jelly bean using natural flavors. This was the birth of the Jelly Belly jelly bean. Klein came up with the name "Jelly Belly" and designed the famous red and yellow logo. He first sold them one flavor at a time, which was a new idea. The first flavors included Very Cherry, Lemon, and Root Beer.
Becoming a Global Brand (1980–Present)
By the 1980s, the Jelly Belly brand was becoming very popular. In 1980, David Klein sold the Jelly Belly name and trademark to the Goelitz company. A trademark is a special name or symbol that only one company can use.
When Ronald Reagan became president in 1981, his love for Jelly Belly jelly beans became famous. The company sent jelly beans to him at the White House throughout his presidency. He even sent them into space on the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1983 as a surprise for the astronauts!
In 2001, the company officially changed its name to the Jelly Belly Candy Company. In October 2023, it was announced that the Ferrara Candy Company was buying Jelly Belly, marking a new chapter in the company's history.
Jelly Belly Products
The Famous Jelly Beans
The Jelly Belly jelly bean is the company's most famous product. There are over 50 official flavors. They range from classic tastes like orange and cherry to more unusual ones like buttered popcorn, cinnamon, and chili-mango.
The company also makes special collections of jelly beans. Some are based on licensed products, like Tabasco sauce. Others have fun themes.
- Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans: Inspired by the Harry Potter books, this mix includes weird flavors like "Vomit," "Earwax," and "Grass" alongside tasty ones.
- BeanBoozled: This is a game where two jelly beans look the same, but one is a normal flavor like "Peach," and the other is a weird flavor like "Barf." You don't know which one you'll get!
- Drink Flavors: Over the years, Jelly Belly has made flavors based on popular drinks like piña colada and mojito. All of these jelly beans are completely alcohol-free.
- Sport Beans: These jelly beans are made for athletes. They contain carbohydrates for energy, electrolytes to help your body stay hydrated, and vitamins.
Other Candies
Besides jelly beans, the company makes over 100 other types of candy. This includes chocolates, licorice, gummy candies, and the classic candy corn.
Factories and Tours
The company has factories in California, Illinois, and Thailand. For many years, Jelly Belly offered tours at its factories in California and Wisconsin. These tours showed people how the jelly beans were made, from mixing the ingredients to adding the colorful shells.
