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Founded in 1921, Wolfgang
Candy is one of the Oldest Family-Owned
and Managed Candy Companies in the
United States. Four generations of
Wolfgang’s have added their expertise to
manufacturing Millions of pounds of
Seasonal Candies for Schools, Clubs,
Churches, Associations, and other
groups.
Candy
making became a tradition for a family
with the surname of Wolfgang in York
County, Pennsylvania as early as the
last decade of the Nineteenth Century.
The Jonas Wolfgang Family moved from
Manheim Township in southern
Pennsylvania to Mayerstown (later named
North York) in 1893. Two brothers,
Abtil and Clinton Wolfgang, elder
brothers of Delphi Eli Wolfgang, learned
this special art by working at Lafeans
Candy Co. in York; they soon opened
their own Wolfgang Candy Factory in
North York. This venture ended,
however, with a Disastrous Fire in 1899
that Destroyed the building and the
business. Clinton and his wife, Maggie,
later started a Wolfgang Candy Factory
on Water Street in York and specialized
in Hard Candy and Clear Toys. They
occasionally depended on the two younger
brothers, Delphi and Millard when they
needed extra help.
Delphi and his wife Mima Mae had five
children, Louise, Paul, Robert, Glenn
and Ruby. Their eldest son, Paul C.
Wolfgang, following in the footsteps of
his uncles, learned the art of candy
making. This venture evolved into the
formation of the D. E. Wolfgang Candy
Co. with his father in 1921. Paul, his
brother Robert, his sister Louise, along
with Uncle Abtil’s guidance began to
produce Wolfgang’s Hand Dipped
Chocolates. The younger siblings, Glenn
and Ruby started to sell Wolfgang’s
Confections at local Football Games and
Special Community Functions when they
were only 10 and 9 years of age,
respectively. The company’s first
significant customers were the North
York High School and a Sunday School
Class of the Fifth United Brethren
Church in North York, two organizations
who re-sold Wolfgang Candy to raise
funds.
The
company readily expanded into the retail
arena, marketing its Delicious
Confections at local Farmers’ Markets in
York, Hanover, Harrisburg, Columbia, and
Lancaster, PA, various Community Fairs,
including the York Interstate Fair and
the Bloomsburg Fair. The company’s
growing retail and wholesale
(fund-raising) initiatives provided
employment for many of the grandchildren
and later great grandchildren of Delphi
and Mima Mae. Today the York area
Farmers’ Markets, along with the
company’s Candy Shop in Wolfgang’s Das
Sweeten Haus Center and many fairs
throughout the region are retail outlets
where consumers can sample the delights
of Wolfgang’s Premium Chocolates. The
majority of the company’s business
continues to be through fund raising
initiatives by churches, schools, day
care centers, sports organizations and
charitable entities.
Wolfgang’s was later incorporated with
the stockholders being the five children
of Delphi and Mima Mae in 1968 and again
re-incorporated in 1979 with inclusion
of four grandchildren. What began in
the cellar of the family home on Latimer
Street in North York grew, step-by-step,
building addition after addition, until
today. The business now occupies three
buildings in North York, Pennsylvania
for Manufacturing and Distribution of
Wolfgang’s Candy Products.
Following a merger of Wolfgang
Enterprises with the D.E. Wolfgang Candy
Co. Inc., on July 30, 2003, four of
Delphi and Mima’s great grandchildren
are the managing partners of Wolfgang
Candy Co., Inc. They are Michael and
Stephen Schmid, grandsons of Ruby, Ben
McGlaughlin, grandson of Glenn, and
Robert Wolfgang, III grandson of
Robert. Senior Partners in this merger
include William Schmid, now retired,
Dennis McGlaughlin, and Robert Wolfgang,
II.
Marketing of the products grew from
Paul’s pony cart, Robert’s basket, Glenn
and Ruby’s Little Red Wagon in North
York to distribution throughout the
United States!
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Wolfgang Candy company
executives (clockwise left
to right): Ben McGlaughlin,
Rob Wolfgang, Steve Schmid,
Mike Schmid, and Brad
McGlaughlin. |
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