The Long Grove Confectionery has been a popular stop for many visitors strolling through the historic village.
Some confectionery employees were recently told they might be laid off because of the prospect of losing business this summer, but a sweet deal turned things around.
John Mangel, owner of the candy company that opened in Long Grove in 1974, contacted Craig Leva of Arway Confections of Chicago, suggesting that Arway acquire the retail store in Long Grove and the plant and outlet store in Buffalo Grove.
After a deal was reached, all 100 employees of Long Grove Confectionery will keep their jobs, and the store will retain its name.
“I’m 75 years old, and it is time I retire and spend some time with my grandchildren and my wife,” Mangel said. “All of the employees are still working there, which is very important to me.”
Leva said, “We wanted to open the doors with everybody in place, doing the same job they had done before. I don’t think anyone realized that it was so close to closing.”
Leva noted the negative impact of the recession on the company. But just a couple of days after employees were told they might lose their jobs, Arway Confections bought the company.
“It’s really an unbelievable fit for our two companies,” said Leva, owner and president of Arway Confections, which has been around for more than 60 years.
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Arway Confections is a supplier that manufactures products in bulk. Long Grove Confectionery has done business with Arway Confections, which has a manufacturing plant on Kimball Avenue between Addison Street and Belmont Avenue.
“Our manufacturing plant in the city was bursting at the seams,” Leva said.
He said Arway would continue to run its 75,000-square-foot factory in the city and add the 85,000-square-foot facility at the state-of-the-art Buffalo Grove plant, which also provides tours to customers.
“You can eat off the floor in our building,” Mangel said of the Buffalo Grove plant. “It’s immaculate.”
“Our products are very complementary,” Leva said, adding that Arway makes a wide variety of products, including malted-milk balls, chocolate-covered raisins and praline pecans.
Leva said Arway Confections makes about 200 items and Long Grove Confectionery also has 200 items, so now that they have joined forces a larger variety will be offered to customers.
Long Grove had a much larger retail presence years ago, but Leva said most people still associate Long Grove with high-quality candy.
Leva said fans of the candy company would also be able to order products online, probably starting this fall or winter.