Abdallah Candies
| Founded | 1909 in Minneapolis, Minnesota |
|---|---|
| Founder | Albert Abdallah |
| Headquarters | Burnsville, Minnesota |
Key people | Steve Hegedus, CEO |
| Products | Fine chocolates and candies |
| Website | http://www.abdallahcandies.com |
Abdallah Candies is an historic 4th-generation, family-owned chocolatier and confectionery in Burnsville, Minnesota.[1] It was established in Minneapolis by Lebanese immigrant Albert Abdallah and his wife of Swedish descent, Helen Trovall, as the Calhoun Candy Depot in 1909. The company was renamed Abdallah Candy Company in 1916.[2]
History
In the early years, Albert made candy in a copper kettle over an open flame, working from recipes purchased from a local salesman.[2] Over the years, Albert refined the recipes, using real cream, butter and corn syrup. [3] His recipes for caramels, toffee, whipping cream truffles and assorted chocolates are still among the 200 recipes used by the company today.[4]
In the 1930s, in addition to candy and ice cream, the store featured a 200-seat restaurant.[2] In February 1935, Abdallah’s was forced into bankruptcy and closed due to the Great Depression. After two years, Albert paid back his creditors and opened a smaller store a few blocks from the original, focusing on candy and ice cream.[2]
In 1951, Abdallah’s opened a new factory on 38th Street and Cedar Ave in Minneapolis. With this expansion, Abdallah’s began to focus on wholesale sales. Albert retired from the business in 1961, turning over the business to his son-in-law, Glenn Oletzke, married to Albert’s daughter, Marie.[2] In 1964, a fire caused by a gasoline truck explosion outside the factory forced them to rebuild.[2]
In 1966, Abdallah Candies opened a new facility with a gift store in Burnsville.[5] Marie, and later her daughter, and the next generation, Vicke (Oletzke) Hegedus, operated the gift store. Glenn retired in 1974, leaving the business to his son, James, and Vicke’s husband, Stephen Hegedus. The wholesale business began to expand, first regionally, then nationwide.[1] In 1987, James retired and Stephen asked his son, Steven Hegedus, to join the company. The younger Hegedus became president in 2002.[2]
After expanding sales nationwide, the company needed additional space and moved to its current location in Burnsville in 1998.[2] The company celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2010, after which Stephen and Vicke retired.
Products
Today, Abdallah Candies produces more than 20,000 pounds of candy each day.[4] The company also sells traditional caramel apples in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and online each September and October. Nearly 1 million caramel apples are produced during that two month period.[2] The company developed a caramel-apple dipping machine to replace the labor-intense, hand-dipping process. The machine coats 4,000 apples an hour.
Abdallah Candies sells to approximately 7,000 customers,[4] which are primarily wholesale customers such as hospital gift shops, gift and specialty stores, and upscale grocers. About one-third of the candy the company makes every day is sold under private labels.[5] The Christmas season accounts for about 35 percent of annual sales.[4] The company also offers corporate gift packages through direct sales.
Company Ownership
1st generation: Albert Abdallah and Helen (Trovall) Abdallah
2nd generation: Abdallah’s daughter, Marie (d. 2009 ), and husband, Glenn Oletzke, who worked part time at Albert’s soda fountain while attending business school. Oletzke took over the company in 1961.[2]
3rd generation: Oletzke’s daughter, Vicke Hegedus, and her husband, Stephen. Stephen joined the company in 1963 [2] and took over as president and CEO in 1974.[2] Vicke managed the factory retail store until 2010.
4th generation: Steven Hegedus joined the company full time in 1987,[2] and took over as president in 2002. Steve was nominated for the Kettle Award by Candy Industry magazine in 2014.[6] Mike Bianco, senior v.p. of global operations & distribution, Jelly Belly Candy Co., won the award.
Facilities
Abdallah Chocolates (The Calhoun Candy Company) was first located at Hennepin Avenue and Lake Street in Minneapolis’ Uptown neighborhood. Following its closure stemming from the Great Depression, Abdallah opened a new Uptown location a few blocks away from the original store in 1937. In 1951, the company moved to a former Minneapolis grocery store on East 38th Street. A fire destroyed the building in 1964. In 1966, the company opened a new 12,000 square foot facility in Burnsville, Minnesota. It was later expanded to 16,000 square feet.[2] The company moved to its current location in Burnsville in 1997. The original 35,000-square-foot facility[2] was expanded to 65,000 square feet in 2004. The company is looking to expand again.[4]
Company website
References
- ^ a b Gessner, John (27 February 2014). "Abdallah Candies Looks to Expand". No. 27 February 2014. Burnsville Sun Current. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Randall, Cherie. "Abdallah Candies; Four generations strong". Hennepin History (Fall 2009).
- ^ "highest quality confections". Abdallah Candies official website. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
- ^ a b c d e Feyder, Susan (3 December 2013). "A Sweet Spot in Burnsville". Star Tribune. Minneapolis: Star Tribune. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
- ^ a b Howard, Fran (24 January 2013). "Minnesota a Sweet Spot for Candy Makers". Twin Cities Business Magazine. Retrieved 20 October 2015.
- ^ "Candy Industry reveals 2014 Kettle Award nominees". Candy Industry. Retrieved 17 July 2015.