Founded in 2005 from a family peanut-brittle recipe, Youngstown’s Big Dipper Food Company makes small-batch, hand-stirred brittle and brittle popcorn products. The family-owned company also produces partner brands through co-manufacturing, co-packing and wholesale services, using a facility certified under Safe Quality Foods Institute guidelines. Its Cayten’s brand earned the 2023 Sweets & Snacks Expo award for Most Innovative New Product.
Safe Quality Foods Institute (SQFI) certification
Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) benchmarks
Compliance program
SQF
Quality certification
Popped! | Rosenberg’s CandiesFounded by Gwen Rosenberg in Kent in January 2012, Popped!—now Rosenberg’s Candies—makes popcorn and confections from original recipes and locally sourced Ohio ingredients. The family-owned business grew from years of Gwen perfecting caramel recipes at home and is known for small-batch caramel popcorn, including a cayenne-spiced recipe taste-tested by Kent firefighters. It has since expanded its offerings beyond popcorn to include chocolates and other confections.KENT, OH
Fowler's ChocolatesSince 1901, Fowler’s Chocolates has made Buffalo’s original Sponge Candy along with other fine chocolate confections from its Western New York operation. Still family-owned and operated, the company now sells through five regional retail locations and its online store, while its 2018 SQF certification documents the food-safety controls behind its candy-making process.BUFFALO, NY
Just Born Quality ConfectionsFrom its Bethlehem headquarters and candy factory, Just Born Quality Confections makes the PEEPS®, MIKE AND IKE®, HOT TAMALES® and GOLDENBERG’S® PEANUT CHEWS® candies that have made the family-owned company a familiar name since 1923. Now in its third generation, Just Born employs more than 600 associates and produces candy in the USA and Canada, with PEANUT CHEWS® continuing to be made in Philadelphia. Its Bethlehem production facility is SQF certified, and the company remains privately held while carrying on a distinctly family-rooted confectionery tradition.BETHLEHEM, PA
Al's Delicious PopcornFamily-owned since 1985, Al’s Delicious Popcorn is an Ohio popcorn maker known for hand-crafted batches and more than 80 flavors. Its Columbus flagship, where the business began, develops new recipes and welcomes groups for free tours that include a look at the kitchen and a tasting.COLUMBUS, OH