Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Inc. is an international franchiser, confectionery manufacturer and retail operator in the United States, with outlets in the Republic of Panama and the Republic of the Philippines.[1] The company is based in the town of Durango, Colorado.
 | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Nasdaq: RMCF Russell Microcap Index component | |
| Industry | Chocolate and other confectionery |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Headquarters | Durango, Colorado, United States |
Number of locations | 323 (2022) |
Key people | |
| Revenue | 32,342,579 United States dollar (2022)  |
Number of employees | 217 (2022) |
| Website | rmcf |
The company manufactures chocolate candies and other confections in its 53,000-square-foot (4,900 m2) production facility to supply its franchise locations.[2] The facility produces approximately 300 chocolate candies and other confectionery products. These products include many varieties of clusters, caramels, creams, meltaways, truffles and molded chocolates.[3]
The company has been publicly traded on the NASDAQ exchange since 1985 under the symbol "RMCF".[2]
History
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The company was founded by Frank Crail with his friends Jim Hilton and Mark Lipinski. They opened their first store on May 23, 1981, on Main Avenue in Durango's Historic District adjacent to the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. In 1982, both Hilton and Lipinski left the business, selling their interests to Crail.[4] An offsite facility in the Bodo Industrial District of Durango was built that same year, with the company also opening their first franchises, one in Colorado Springs, Colorado and one in Park City, Utah.
In 2013, Kellogg's in the United States partnered with the Rocky Mountain Chocolate to release a limited edition cereal under the latter's brand which consists of sweetened corn flakes, almond slices, and chocolate pieces.[5]
In 2022 Rocky Mountain Chocolate was named America's Best Chocolate and Candy Store by Newsweek.[6]
In 2023 Rocky Mountain Chocolate divested itself of all assets and marks pertaining to its activity as a marketer and franchisor of a number of frozen yogurt brands held in its U-Swirl, Inc. subsidiary.[7]
In September 2023, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory announced that it would remove the word "factory" from its name, rebranding to Rocky Mountain Chocolate.[8]
References
edit- ^ "US-based Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory appoints key independent chairperson". Confectionery Production. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
- ^ a b "About Us". Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ "Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory". Retail Merchandiser. December 19, 2011. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
- ^ Eng, Dinah (July 26, 2015). "How a tech executive turned a fudge store into an international candy empire". Fortune. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
- ^ "Kellogg's Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Cereal". MrBreakfast.com. Retrieved September 28, 2022.
- ^ "Newsweek Ranks Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Best Chocolate and Candy Store Retailer". Yahoo! Finance. June 7, 2022. Retrieved September 29, 2022.
- ^ Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Furthers Its Strategic Initiatives With the Divestiture of U-Swirl Yogurt Franchise Business Retrieved May 10, 2023
- ^ "Rocky Mountain Factory reveals complete brand, trade name refresh". www.snackandbakery.com. Retrieved October 4, 2023.