Mmmm...chocolate...I adore the stuff, so your question caught my
attention right away! Never met a chocolate I didn't like...
I've confined the search to actual manufacturers of chocolate, not
"molders" or "purveyors".
Let's start with my favorite San Francisco chocolatier:
Ghirardelli
http://www.ghirardelli.com
Domingo Ghirardelli founded the original Ghirardelli Chocolate company
in 1852, in beautiful San Francisco, during the California gold rush.
Ghirardelli chocolate was produced in "The Factory" at Ghirardelli
Square until 1981, when the manufacturing operation was moved to San
Leandro, California. In January, 1998, The Ghirardelli Chocolate
Company was acquired by Swiss chocolatiers Lindt & Sprüngli:
"The newly-acquired "Ghirardelli Chocolate Company" was consolidated
retroactively to 1 January 1998. Sales developments have fulfilled our
high expectations."
Lindt & Sprüngli
http://www.lindt.com/international/investor/press/semi1998.asp
Ghirardelli, which employed 500 in 1998, boasts annual sales of $100
million, and is seeking to expand:
"Known as a boutique chocolate company with annual sales of more than
$100 million — a morsel of the $4.6 billion in sales Hershey netted
last year — Ghirardelli has begun selling its signature chocolate
squares in such stores as Target and Safeway. And the bite-size
chocolates will be in CVS, Walgreen's, Vons and Shoprite drugstores by
October."
Chocolate Maker Expands Business
http://www.redding.com/news/business/past/20020813bus251.shtml
"Founded in 1852, Ghirardelli is one of the oldest and most venerable
chocolate makers in the US. As is the case with the Lindt brand,
Ghirardelli focuses on high product quality and maintains a leading
position in the rapidly growing premium chocolate segment of the US
market. With some 500 employees, Ghirardelli generates annual sales
of around USD 100 million."
Press Release
http://www.lindt.com/international/investor/press/news3.asp
Information about Ghirardelli's products is listed at their website:
Ghirardelli: Our Products
http://www.ghirardelli.com/category.cfm
Ghirardelli is known for a smooth, creamy texture and a light
sweetness. I use Ghirardelli products in my own baking and candy
making because of the superb consistency across batches, as well as
the wonderful taste.
A Dun & Bradstreet Report on Ghirardelli, which includes more detailed
information and the company's SIC code, may be purchased from Dun &
Bradstreet's ZapData for $5:
ZapData Company Lookup
http://zapleads.zapdata.com/cl/search_form.jsp
[ A note about D&B Reports: You'll receive more information by
ordering the D&B reports than what most GA Researchers have access to.
D&B details exactly what you'll find in their reports, and they also
offer extras like contact names and marketing profiles at an
additional charge:
"Company Lookup Report
D&B’s Company Lookup Report includes the following information plus
any additional data bundles you have selected:
Data Element Description:
Business Name; Primary name of company
D&B D-U-N-S®: Unique ID for this company location
Physical Address: Physical street address
Phone Number: Company’s main phone number
Secondary Business Name: Legal name of company, if different from
primary
Year Started: Year the company was started
Public / Private: Identifies company as publicly or privately owned
Legal Structure: Legal form of company
Business Structure: Single location; Headquarters; Branch
Subsidiary Indicator: Subsidiary; Non-subsidiary
Top Executive: Name and title of the CEO/Top Executive
Annual Sales: Approximate annual sales
Annual Sales Growth (3-year): Percentage change in annual sales over
the last 3 years
Employees at this site: Number of employees at this company location
Employees across all sites: Total number of employees at all company
locations
Employee Growth across all sites (3-year): Percentage change in
total number of employees at all locations over the last three years
Mailing Address: Mailing address
County: County name
Parent Company: Unique ID, name, and location for the parent company
of this business
Headquarters: Unique ID, name, and location for the headquarters of
this business
Industry Sectors: 8-digit SIC code, with description, of up to six
industry sectors the company operates in"
Company Lookup: Information about Company Reports and Bundles
http://zapleads.zapdata.com/cl/bundle/cl_base_data_record_info.jsp ]
Across the Bay, in pretty Berkeley, you'll find Scharffen-Berger.
Scharffen-Berger Chocolate Maker
http://www.scharffenberger.com
Founded in 1996 by physician John Scharffenberger and winemaker Robert
Steinberg, Scharffenberger specializes in dark chocolate, crafted in
small batches using European artisanal methods. Scharffen-Berger was
recently profiled on FoodTV's "Follow That Food", as well as on "The
Best Of...", and is featured in the San Francisco Exploratorium's
"Sweet Science of Chocolate":
The Sweet Science of Chocolate
http://www.exploratorium.edu/chocolate/
Scharffen-Berger employs thirty, and is expanding:
" After setting up a factory in South San Francisco, the two released
their first chocolate in 1997, a bittersweet bar they introduced at a
food festival in Aspen, Colo. It was well received, recalls
Scharffenberger, though he now recognizes that it was "very rough"
compared with their chocolates today.
Last summer they outgrew the South San Francisco site and moved to the
former Berkeley warehouse, taking with them virtually all their 30
employees."
Sweet Science
http://www.scharffenberger.com/press/article_sac_bee_20020213.php
...and has annual sales of $3 million:
"Take Bay Area dark-chocolate specialty wholesaler Scharffen Berger
Chocolate Maker. Last year the company had $3 million in gross sales,
with about 10% of that via the Net through Webvan or smaller online
chocolate retailers. (Scharffen Berger's does not sell directly over
the Web but points customers to retail Web-site partners). "Our sales
were up 300% last year and 250% this year," says CEO Jon Scharffen
Berger."
Chocolate Explosion
http://www.businessweek.com/smallbiz/content/jul2000/tr000731.htm
[ Interestingly, the Sacramento Bee article cited above claims that
the US has only ten chocolate manufacturers - companies which make
actual chocolate, not just produce candies from chocolate supplied by
other companies. ]
Scharffen Berger does have a D&B report available at ZapData for $5.
The following are not manufacturers of chocolates, but creators of
fine chocolate products that might interest you:
Also in San Francisco, Joseph Schmidt's Confections, established in
1983 by Joseph Schmidt, a master chocolatier:
Joseph Schmidt Confections
http://www.jschmidtconfections.com/
Though the operation is small - a single factory and a single retail
store - Mr. Schmidt's chocolates have become famous worldwide thanks
to his extreme care in working with the chocolate. He is well known
for "truffle eggs", hand decorated creations of smooth and glossy
perfection. Mr. Schmidt has been commissioned by heads of state and
foreign royalty to produce chocolate sculptures for state dinners, and
can often be found touring the country to discuss new methods of
crafting and caring for chocolates. I had the opportunity to attend
one of his presentations at the Jacobson's department store in my
hometown two years ago, and it was fascinating.
Here's a bit more about his shop:
Joseph Schmidt Confections
http://gocalifornia.about.com/library/weekly/bl_schmidt.htm
According to the San Francisco Business Times, Joseph Schmidt
Confections employs 157, and generates $10 million in annual sales:
" Joseph Schmidt Confections Inc. says it plans to build a
95,000-square-foot chocolate factory in the Mission to boost
production and meet growing demand for its expensive line of
chocolates. The plant will also expand the city's job base, eventually
adding 105 jobs to the company's current total of 157.
The new plant will replace the company's existing facility in the
Potrero Hill area. That 40,000-square-foot plant is too small to
accommodate projected sales and employment growth.
The company sells 1.25 million pounds of chocolate confections
annually, generating $10 million in sales. Although company sales are
rising 15 percent a year, the company's growth has been held back by
limited production capacity, said company president Joseph Schmidt. "
Chocolatier on a mission for new plant
http://sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/1996/11/04/story3.html
I have confirmed that a detailed report with more information is
available through ZapData, listed above, for $5.
Another maker of fine chocolates, XOX Truffles of San Francisco is
rapidly gaining a following for their rich and creamy handmade
truffles:
XOX Truffles
http://www.xoxtruffles.com/
Jean-Marc Gorce and his wife, Casimira, opened XOX Truffles in San
Francisco's North Beach in 1998. According to the Guides at
About.com, Monsieur Gorce's lovingly run establishment was named as
one of the top ten chocolate makers in the US by Chocolatier magazine:
XOX
http://gocalifornia.about.com/library/weekly/bl_xox.htm
Two reports are available from ZapData.
I hope this is information is helpful. I certainly enjoyed
researching this delicious topic for you!
If any part of my answer is unclear, please don't hesitate to ask for
further assistance. I'll be glad to help.
--Missy, who will do just about anything for good chocolate
Search terms included: [ "chocolate manufacturers" Northern California
], [ SIC Code ], the individual company names, and [ "annual sales" OR
"employees" foo ], where "foo" is the name of the company. Company
histories are found at each site. Additionally, some background
information was obtained from my chocolate cookbook: "Chocolate:
Cooking With The World's Best Ingredient", by Christine McFadden, with
Christine France. Published in 2001 by Hermes House, NYC, ISBN
1-84309-068-6. |
Clarification of Answer by
missy-ga
on
01 Oct 2002 23:23 PDT
Hello again!
I’ve gathered more information as requested, sticking to companies
whose finished product is made in Northern California. For several of
these companies, the only information freely available is on their
websites, and for some of those, it’s not much to go on. Market
research is generally closely held – you can get the data you seek,
but it’s not free. Fortunately, some of it is inexpensive, so I’ve
noted if detailed Dun & Bradstreet reports are available for each
business. Reports are $5 each.
I do not think it’s possible for me to compile detailed data on “all”
Northern California chocolate makers in any reasonable amount of time
– there are a number of chocolate makers who do not maintain web
presence, advertising budgets or D & B reports, and operate solely by
word of mouth following. Small, privately held companies are not
required to publish earnings data or disclose number of employees or
company history, and many simply don’t.
I’ve gathered data on the companies your future venture may most
likely be competing with.
Let’s begin with the shops you mentioned in your request for
clarification:
Anette’s Chocolate Factory, located in Napa, CA.
http://www.annettes.com/
Numerous searches on Anette’s turned up no information online. I was
able to confirm that a report is available from ZapData.
The Candy Jar, San Francisco
http://www.thecandyjar.net/startpage.asp
The Candy Jar has a website, but there is absolutely no information
about the company on it. Searches elsewhere for company history,
annual sales and number of employees came up similarly dry. There is
a report available from ZapData, however, as well as a very small (4
listings) contact list.
See’s Candies is headquartered in San Francisco, with candy kitchens
in Los Angeles and South San Francisco. Candies produced in these
kitchens is shipped to 200 See’s outlets nationwide.
See’s Candies
http://www.sees.com/
See’s was established in 1921 in Los Angeles, expanded to San
Francisco in 1936, and was purchased by Warren Buffet’s company,
Berkshire Hathaway, in 1972. The company employs 6,000 throughout all
outlets:
hp gives See's Candies a sweet online solution
http://www.hp.com/products1/mpeixservers/case_studies/E3000001LDT.html
…and reported annual sales of $50.2 million in 1995 (annual earnings
are now consolidated in the BH annual report) :
http://www.berkshirehathaway.com/1995ar/1995ar.html
ZapData lists 150 separate reports for See’s Candies – apparently one
for almost every outlet.
Established in 1999, the San Francisco Chocolate Company specializes
in tinned chocolates imprinted with famous San Francisco landmarks and
chocolate “Earthquake” cakes made with Stolichnaya vodka.
The San Francisco Chocolate Factory
http://www.sfchocolate.com/index.html
No company information is listed on the website, and no information
was found in searches. Two reports are available from ZapData.
Guittard Chocolate Company was established in 1868 by Etienne
Guittard, on Sansome Street in San Francisco.
Guittard
http://www.guittard.com
Guittard specializes in supplying fine chocolate to chocolatiers the
world over, and offers a line of candy making and baking products for
the home cook, as well as a specialty line of “E. Guittard” artisan
crafted chocolates. Guittard employs an estimated 400 people. Sales
figures were not freely available, but a report is available from
ZapData.
Preston’s Candies was founded in Burlingame in 1946, and the company
prides itself on its hand-made chocolates, crafted exclusively with
Guittard chocolates. The company has won several awards for its
confections, and recently appeared in Candy Industry magazine:
Preston’s
http://www.prestonscandy.com
According to the article (currently only available through Google’s
cache), Preston’s employs 15 people, and has annual sales of $400,000:
“Art estimates that, when in full production, the kitchen makes 500
pounds of confections per day. Annual sales are approximately
$400,000.
The company employs 15 people who help with everything from chocolate
making to selling”
Candy Industry – via Google’s cache and MakeAShorterLink.com
http://makeashorterlink.com/?E16D219F1
Preston’s does not have a company report on file with Dun &
Bradstreet.
RoCocoa’s Faerie Queen Chocolates is located in San Francisco’s Castro
District. Owner Jeoffrey Douglas says about the business:
“Every year in October, I pack my bags and stuff my briefcase with
faxes containing appointments with Europe's finest confection
artisans. This begins a two week orgy of chocolate sampling and
important arranging that takes me to Paris, London, Brussels,
Amsterdam, Strasbourg and many other chocolate capitols of Europe. Our
morsels are then jet flown from our suppliers where they clear customs
and arrive for our customers to enjoy at their quintessence. Back
home, the faeries are busy making fudge from thick dairy cream and
hormone free butter. They are also occupied dipping luscious things
like nuts and buttercream in silky warm chocolate. Due to weather,
transportation strikes and the ever changing economy, not everything
is available at all times, for which we are blameless but apologize
anyway.”
Mr. Douglas coyly keeps the number of Faeries and what he pays them
quiet, however, and didn’t tell D & B, either.
FaerieQueene
http://www.faeriequeene.com
Perhaps of some interest to you:
Confectioners in the 415 Area Code who produce chocolates (candies)
from chocolate purchased elsewhere:
Confectionery Manufacturing from Purchased Chocolate
http://www.gy.com/biz/311330/415.htm
...and from the 510 Area Code:
Confectionery Manufacturing from Purchased Chocolate
http://www.gy.com/biz/311330/510.htm
As you can see, there are more than 60 such companies listed for just
these two area codes. Many of these, such as Nob Hill Chocolates do
not have web presences or D & B reports available. Others, such as
the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, list as producing chocolates in
the Bay Area, but they do no such thing. In their case, chocolates
are produced in their Durango, CO manufacturing facility and flown in
to various franchise locations.
Though not terribly detailed, the lists are a good indication of the
number of chocolate related businesses in the area, and may serve as a
stepping stone for you if you wish to investigate other chocolate
related endeavors.
Something else to keep in mind:
Who your company is in direct competition with depends largely on the
kind of chocolates the company makes. High end chocolatiers cater to
specialized market segments, producing only a few types of chocolate.
If the company you hope to join specializes in truffles or creamy
Belgian or other “high maintenance” chocolates, then XOX and Joseph
Schmidt’s (and shops similar to them) are where you’ll want to focus
your attention. If they specialize in chocolate bars or squares, or
high quality baking products, focus on companies like Ghirardelli and
Scharffen-Berger, both of which make top quality, stable, and
versatile chocolates suitable for cooking or eating out of hand.
Compare the products your prospective company offers with similar
products offered elsewhere, and focus your attentions accordingly.
Good luck, and happy chocolate sampling!
--Missy
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