Russell Stover Candies facts for kids
 |
|
| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Chocolate confections |
| Founded | 1923 Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
| Founders | Russell William Stover Clara Stover |
| Headquarters |
,
U.S.
|
|
Number of locations
|
Manufacturing – Iola, Kansas; Abilene, Kansas; Corsicana, Texas |
| Products | Chocolate Confections |
| Owner | Lindt & Sprüngli |
| Parent | Lindt & Sprüngli |
| Subsidiaries | Whitman's and Pangburn's Chocolates |
Russell Stover Chocolates is a famous American company. It makes many kinds of candy and chocolate treats. Russell Stover and his wife, Clara, started the company in 1923. Today, it is part of a big Swiss chocolate company called Lindt & Sprüngli. The main office for Russell Stover is in Kansas City, Missouri.
Contents
How Russell Stover Began
In 1921, Russell Stover worked with Christian Kent Nelson. Christian Nelson was a schoolteacher who invented the Eskimo Pie. Together, they made a chocolate-covered ice cream sandwich. This sweet treat became very popular. Other companies soon started making similar ice cream products.
Because of this, Russell Stover faced challenges in his business. He and Clara decided to sell their part of the company. They then moved to Denver, Colorado. In 1923, Russell and Clara started a new candy business from their home. They called it "Mrs. Stover's Bungalow Candies." They sold chocolates in special boxes. In 1943, the company changed its name to Russell Stover Candies.
Growing the Chocolate Business
In 1960, a man named Louis Ward and his partner bought the company. Louis Ward was the leader of the company until 1993. After he retired, his sons, Scott H. and Thomas Ward, took over. The company grew by buying other chocolate brands. They bought Whitman's that same year. Later, in 1999, they also bought Pangburn's Chocolates.
New Owners and Changes
A Swiss chocolate maker named Lindt bought Russell Stover Chocolates in 2014. After this, Russell Stover Chocolates made some big changes. They made their marketing team much bigger. They also started focusing less on chocolates for holidays and more on everyday treats.
The company also worked on making more sugar-free products. By 2019, they started using Stevia, a natural sweetener. This replaced an artificial sweetener. They also updated their packaging to look more modern. These changes helped the company sell more chocolates. In 2020, Russell Stover Chocolates was the top company for sugar-free chocolate in the United States.
Because sales were strong in 2019, Russell Stover Chocolates planned to make their factories bigger. These factories are in Iola, Kansas, Abilene, Kansas, and Corsicana, Texas. However, they also announced that some places would close in 2021. This included their factory in Montrose, Colorado.
Recent Years (2020-Present)
In July 2020, the company took part in a special online job fair. This event helped people find jobs during the COVID pandemic. It allowed people to look for work while staying safe at home.
Later in 2020, the company had to reduce its staff. This was due to the effects of the pandemic. The closure of the Montrose plant also meant many jobs were lost.
