Claeys Candy was founded in 1919 by Jerome C. Claeys in his garage. Located in South Bend, Indiana, after 104 years, Claeys Candy proudly calls Indiana home.
Much like McKeesport Candy Co., Claey's has remained a generation-family business. In case you still need to figure it out, we have a soft spot for family businesses, especially ones that are still surviving the test of time.
Jerome C. Claey is the grandfather of the current president, Gregg Claeys. The company was initially located in a small building on Blaine Avenue in South Bend.
However, as their sales increased because of their delicious candies, so did their need for space. The company then moved into a larger building to fit this need.
The company is now located in the fourth plant that Claeys Candy has built because of their increasing need for bigger spaces over the years.
They also had to transition from handwork to machine work in the 1970s to keep up with the demand for their candies.
While the family ownership hasn't changed, the company's name has, although not by much.
Now, it is called Claeys Candy, but it used to be called J. C. Claeys Candy.
Dropping these two letters didn't change much, but it did change it from Jerome's company to the family company.
The first item Claeys Candy produced was the Etabar, which was discontinued many years ago.
The Etabar was a caramel nut bar covered in icing. Selling for only five cents, the bar is what started the Claeys Candy business that we know today.
Around the holidays, the company also sold their chocolate Charlie, called initially the Charlie Chaplin.
It was a hit because it was made of marshmallows and peanuts and covered in chocolate. Sadly, this, too, was discontinued, but if you search the internet, many fond memories remain.
Now, the company specializes in flavored hard candies, which offer a modern taste in retro-looking packaging.
We feature Claeys Horehound Old Fashioned Candy Drops, which are cough drops that help a sore throat in need.
We also feature their Peppermint, Cinnamon, Green Apple, Root Beer, Licorice, Wild Cherry, and Lemon drops.
It's hard not to love Claeys Candy. Claeys Candy features what we love most about the candy industry: a family business, a great story and unique flavors.
