Blommer Chocolate Company Explained

Blommer Chocolate Company
Type:Private
Parent:Fuji Oil Holdings Inc.
Industry:Chocolate
Founders:Henry Blommer, Al Blommer, Bernard Blommer
Hq Location City:East Greenville, Pennsylvania
Hq Location Country:USA
Area Served:North America
Key People:Henry Blommer, Al Blommer, Bernard Blommer, Peter Blommer
Products:Chocolate, Cocoa powder, Cocoa butter, Chocolate liquor, chocolate-panned products, confectioner coating, other chocolate ingredients
Owners:-->
Num Employees:900 (2019)
Revenue: $907 Million (2019)
Footnotes:[1] [2] [3]

Blommer Chocolate Company is an integrated chocolate manufacturer based in Chicago, Illinois, considered to be the largest chocolate ingredient supplier in North America. Prior to its acquisition by Fuji Oil Holdings, Inc. in 2018, the company was the largest and oldest independent cocoa bean processor in North America.

History

Blommer Chocolate was founded in 1939 by the brothers, Henry, Al, and Bernard in Chicago.[4] The family (pronounced "Blummer") has roots in the confectionary, farming and ice cream business.

In 1948, the company acquired Bishop chocolate in Los Angeles and Boldeman Chocolate in San Francisco in 1951. In 1970, Blommer opened their second production plant in Union City, California, followed by a plant in East Greenville, Pennsylvania in 1980. In 2001 the company broke ground for a new warehouse in Pennsylvania.

In 2003, Blommer employed around 450 people and crossed $500 million in revenue. In 2006, the company acquired a production plant from World's Finest Chocolate in Ontario, Canada.

In 2018, the company was sold to Fuji Oil Holdings Inc. for $750 million.[5] [6] After the transaction, the Blommer family and senior management continued to lead the company.

In 2022, the company announced that Peter Blommer, the grandson of Henry Blommer, who had started working with Blommer Chocolate aged 17 in 1991, would step down as CEO of the company. He continued to serve in the role of Vice Chairman, while Nao Rokukawa, the Chairman of Blommer, took over as interim CEO until the position was filled.[7]

Corporate affairs

Factories and store

The company operates four plants in North America:[8]

The company also operates an external R&D facility in Chicago and another production plant in China.[9]

Aroma

The factory in the West Loop area of Chicago is known for sending a chocolate aroma into the air. Though the smell is popular among many Chicagoans, in 2006, a nearby condo owner complained to the EPA about the smell, complaining that it violated the Clean Air Act. Blommer was not fined, having explained that it was upgrading its filtration system. The chocolate smell remains.[10]

Products

More than 45% of cocoa beans processed in the United States are processed (into cocoa butter, cocoa solids and chocolate liquor) by Blommer; about 70% of their business is supplying chocolate to various branded companies for use in those companies' own products.[11] [12]

Blommer's Chocolates Company does not sell directly through retail. Another branch of the family owned and operated a retail store located in the front corner of the Chicago manufacturing site until February, 2020, which sold various chocolates and chocolate baking supplies purchased from Blommer and other vendors.[13] [14]

Literature

Notes and References

  1. https://www.linkedin.com/company/blommer-chocolate-company
  2. News: November 19, 2018 . Japan's Fuji Oil to buy U.S.-based chocolate maker Blommer . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20181202020845/https://in.mobile.reuters.com/article/amp/idINKCN1NO19F . December 2, 2018 . December 28, 2023 . Reuters.
  3. Web site: Elejalde-Ruiz . Alexia . November 19, 2018 . Blommer Chocolate to be sold to Japanese company . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220819160247/https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-blommer-chocolate-sale-20181119-story.html . August 19, 2022 . December 28, 2023 . Chicago Tribune.
  4. Web site: History . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20151229142612/http://www.blommer.com/the-difference-history.php . December 29, 2015 . December 23, 2015 . Blommer Chocolate Company.
  5. News: Esposito . Stefano . November 19, 2018 . Blommer Chocolate sold for $750 million . https://web.archive.org/web/20191210033446/https://chicago.suntimes.com/2018/11/19/18455403/blommer-chocolate-sold-for-750-million . December 10, 2019 . December 9, 2019 . Chicago Sun-Times.
  6. News: Koziarz . Jay . November 20, 2018 . Chicago's famous Blommer Chocolate factory is getting a new owner . https://web.archive.org/web/20191210045127/https://chicago.curbed.com/2018/11/20/18105285/blommer-chocolate-factory-sale-fuji-oil . December 10, 2019 . December 9, 2019 . Curbed.
  7. Web site: Myers . Anthony . June 16, 2022 . Peter Blommer to step down as Blommer Chocolate CEO . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230605210829/https://www.confectionerynews.com/Article/2022/06/16/peter-blommer-to-step-down-as-blommer-chocolate-ceo . June 5, 2023 . 2022-07-11 . confectionerynews.com . en-GB.
  8. Web site: Plant Locations . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20210118073742/https://www.blommer.com/the-difference-locations.php . January 18, 2021 . December 16, 2020 . Blommer Chocolate Company.
  9. Web site: Myers . Anthony . January 26, 2022 . Blommer Chocolate to open new R&D Applications Lab in Chicago . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230329141256/https://www.confectionerynews.com/Article/2022/01/26/blommer-chocolate-to-open-new-r-d-applications-lab-in-chicago . March 29, 2023 . 2022-07-11 . confectionerynews.com . en-GB.
  10. Web site: Amer . Robin . August 11, 2012 . Blommer, where 'the bridges smell like chocolate' . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120816093758/http://www.wbez.org/series/dynamic-range/blommer-where-%E2%80%98-bridges-smell-chocolate%E2%80%99-101620 . August 16, 2012 . December 23, 2015 . WBEZ91.5.
  11. News: Rosenthal . Phil . May 18, 2014 . Inside Blommer Chocolate: Family and cocoa at 75 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20151223235931/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2014-05-18/business/ct-chocolate-smell-chicago-blommer-biz-0518-20140518_1_cocoa-henry-blommer-blommer-chocolate-co . December 23, 2015 . December 23, 2015 . Chicago Tribune.
  12. News: MacArthur . Kate . May 9, 2012 . Blommer Chocolate to back cocoa sustainability program . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190307190213/https://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20120509/NEWS07/120509744/blommer-chocolate-to-back-cocoa-sustainability-program . March 7, 2019 . December 23, 2015 . Crain's Chicago Business.
  13. Web site: Blommer Chocolate Store . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160109161143/http://blommerstore.com/ . January 9, 2016 . December 23, 2015.
  14. Web site: Wong . Grace . January 16, 2020 . Blommer Chocolate's outlet store is closing at the end of February . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220818050443/https://www.chicagotribune.com/dining/ct-food-blommers-chocolate-store-closing-20200116-c7z3lqozk5eezbz6244jespuce-story.html . August 18, 2022 . 2020-03-31 . Chicago Tribune.