The Candy Decision
The Fairfield, California company Jelly Belly announced Wednesday that Ferrara Candy Company will be taking over. Ferrara is a company in Chicago that is known to make different candies, like Nerds, SweeTARTS, Black Forest, and Trolli. Further, when the transaction is completed over 800 workers under Jelly Belly will be transferred to Ferrara Candy Company. This includes employees all over California, Illinois, and Thailand.
Senior Chairman of the Board of Directors, Herman Rowland, stated, “When I met with the Ferrara team, I recognized a like-minded group that shares our knowledge and passion for the candy business and has the talent and resources to grow our products and the careers of our people around the world.”
Jelly Belly’s 100-plus flavors and other candies will go into Ferrara’s portfolio. Also after the deal is done the new Chief Executive Officer of the company will be Jeff Brown. Additionally, Brown is currently the executive vice president of Global Operations and Distribution for Jelly Belly.
Lastly, the deal is expected to close by the end of 2023. However, the date depends on the closing conditions.
Jelly Belly
Jelly Belly was founded in Belleville, Illinois in 1869 by Gustav Goelitz. In 1920, his son Herman Goelitz decided to move the company to Oakland California. Jelly Belly has been owned and operated for more than six generations.
The company even became a California Institution due to the endorsement of President Ronald Regan 40 years later. He ate the jelly beans to help him kick his smoking habit. He was even known to keep the Oval Office stocked with jelly beans during his presidency.
In 1985, the company moved its headquarters from Oakland to Fairfield. It remained in Fairfield since, where factory tours and free samples were part of the fun. The company also distributes its products to over 60 countries.
Ferrara’s Other Buyout This Year
In addition to the Jelly Belly deal, Ferrara has bought out another company this year. Early this year the purchase of the Brazilian candy company, Dori Alimentos was finalized on September 29, 2023.
Dori Alimentos is one of the largest leaders in the Brazilian snack market. Furthermore, this is Ferrara’s first acquisition internationally.
Written by AriAnna Rathers
Sources:
SFGate– Bay Area candy giant Jelly Belly bought by Chicago company
KCRA– Jelly Belly to be sold to Chicago-based Ferrara Candy Company
Ferrara– Ferrara Candy Company Acquires Dori Alimentos
Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Carol VanHook’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
Inset Image Courtesy of seanbirm’s Flickr Page – Creative Commons License
