FAIRFIELD, Calif. -- Jelly Belly Candy Co. has signed an agreement to acquire the candy manufacturing and trade name assets of Ben Myerson Candy Co., Los Angeles. Ben Myerson manufactures the Christopher's line of chocolates and is the licensee of Sunkist confectionery products, including Sunkist Fruit Gems.
The family candymaking heritage of Ben Myerson Candy Co. is much respected and a good fit for Jelly Belly, said Herman G. Rowland Sr., chairman of Jelly Belly.
Jelly Belly expects to move Ben Myerson's candy manufacturing [image-nocss] and shipping operations to the company's plants in California and Illinois. Other details of the deal will remain undisclosed until the acquisition is complete in early November.
Ben Myerson will continue to operate business in the wine and spirits industry. The proposed sale of the confectionery business coincides with the announcement of Robert Myerson's retirement after 65 years in the candy business. Three generations of the Myerson family have made candy, beginning with Ben Myerson himself, who started his career in the candy industry in 1912. Ben Myerson Candy opened in 1937, and in 1955, the company acquired Christopher's, the oldest candy manufacturer in the country dating back to 1887.
Jelly Belly, Fairfield, Calif., is a family owned and operated confectionery manufacturer run by the fourth and fifth generation of candy makers. Known worldwide for Jelly Belly jelly beans, the company also makes more than 100 gourmet confections including gummies, jells, chocolate panned sweets and seasonal lines.
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