Marich Confectionery facts for kids
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| Founded | Watsonville, California (1983) |
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| Founder | Marinus van Dam |
| Headquarters | Hollister, California |
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Key people
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Brad van Dam (President & CEO) |
| Products | Sugar Panning, Chocolate, Truffles, Candies, Jelly Beans, Cookies |
Marich Confectionery (say "Mahr-ich") is a company in the United States that makes delicious candies. It was started in 1983 by Marinus van Dam. He was also the person who created the famous Jelly Belly brand of jelly beans! Marich's main operations are in Hollister, California. They are also certified as a Fair Trade company. This means they work fairly with their suppliers.
Contents
The Sweet History of Marich Confectionery
From Floor Scraper to Candy Expert
In 1944, a fifteen-year-old boy named Marinus van Dam started working. He was in Rotterdam, Netherlands. His first job was a janitor at a candy factory. He had to scrape candy off the floor!
Later, Marinus got a special chance. He was allowed to go to a confectionery school. There, he learned all about making candy. He studied the art of candy technology.
Moving to America and Starting a Business
In January 1957, Marinus moved from the Netherlands to the United States. He found work at a small company in Columbus, Ohio. After three months, Marinus decided to move to California. He then worked for the Herman Goelitz Candy Company.
In 1983, Marinus started his own candy business. He called it Marich Confectionery. He had help from several partners. The company began making chocolate-covered dried fruits. The first one was a chocolate-covered dried cherry. It had a pastel cherry coating. This was in the 1980s. Later, in 1992, they made chocolate-covered dried blueberries.
Marich Today
Today, Marich has a very large facility. It is 90,000 square feet! It is located in Hollister, California. About 125 people work there. They handle everything from making candy to sales and marketing. Their offices are right next to where the candy is made.
Awards and Recognition
Marich Confectionery has received several awards for its delicious treats. In 1995, the company was recognized. This was for being a leader in the gourmet chocolate market. Gourmet means high-quality and special.
In 2001, Marich won an award at the International Fancy Food Show. This was for their chocolate-covered dried cherry. The company also received more awards in 2001 and 2004. These were from the Specialty Food Association. These awards show how good their candies are!
