Blommer Chocolate plots course for 21st century. (Blommer Chocolate Co.)(includes related article)(Cover Story)

The strength of family steers company into calmer waters following repurchase of stock

In 1939, Chicago was considered the heart of candy manufacturing in the United States. That was one of several reasons why Henry Blommer, Sr., and his brothers Al and Bern decided to establish Blommer Chocolate Company there.

The stories of the brothers' struggles and ingenuity in those early days are the foundation upon which the loyalty and dedication of their children and employees at today's Blommer Chocolate Company has been built.

As Executive Vice President Joe Blommer (Henry's son) tells it, "When they got started they would spend the night down here (at the factory). They put up iron cots and for privacy they would make a little cubicle with sacks of cocoa beans."

Blommer Vice President Marty Krueger, based at the East Greenville, PA, factory, says that "Those were lean times and the brothers took turns working around the clock to supervise production."

Keeping a close watch on operations, and introducing advances to the industry, the brothers turned a profit in their first year.

Company President Henry "Hank" Blommer, Jr., says, "at that time they also introduced a price structure that changed daily with the cocoa futures market. Up to that point the industry changed prices infrequently, building in a substantial risk premium that was passed on to the customer. By pricing daily, customers were given more flexibility and more competitive pricing."

The sacrifices and innovations of those early …