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was done because the company’s                                                                                           to continue to connect our family   candy. The everyday business is    team finishes production for Easter
          number one priority is the safety                                                                                        company with our brands.           easier to track and produce based on   (usually every January), they move
          and health of our associates. Our                                                                                                                           history, new distribution, promotions,   right into producing Halloween, then
          associates appreciated getting paid                                                                                                                         and regular everyday sales.         Christmas, and then Easter for the
          during this time, and, thankfully,                                                                                       Would you elaborate on                                                 following year. Peeps candy is so
          our retailers respected this tough                                                                                       your company’s stated goal         Peeps are truly seasonal, with most   unique and in such high demand
          decision. We came out of the                                                                                             of “bringing sweetness to          of the sales occurring at Easter.   that we work with our retailers to get
          temporary shutdown stronger than                                                                                         people’s lives”?                   Once the dedicated marshmallow      early forecasts to be able to produce
          ever with loyal associates and our
          brands in high demand.                                                                                                   “Bringing sweetness to people’s
                                                                                                                                   lives” is about more than just the
                                                                                                                                   great candy we make. It’s about                                       “Our focus on our four
          How many family members                                                                                                  bringing sweetness to people in a                                      brands has allowed
          have run the business? How                                                                                               variety of ways, including being an                                    us to invest and
          important is the family aspect                                                                                           employer of choice, volunteering in
          to your company’s success?                                                                                               the community, providing grants                                        grow them into some
                                                                                                                                   to local nonprofits, producing in                                      of America’s most
          Seven family members have run the   only way our company can thrive                                                      a landfill-free facility, and being                                    beloved brands.”
          business over the last one hundred   is if our community is thriving. We                                                 a good corporate citizen. How we
          years. Sam Born was our founder.   have built a culture of respect, and                                                  do things is just as important as
          Born’s brothers-in-law, Irv and Jack   our purpose is to bring sweetness to                                              what we do. We strive to be a highly
          Shaffer, joined the business shortly   people’s lives.                                                                   respected confectioner with beloved
          after the retail store opened. Sam’s                                                                                     brands and enthusiastic fans. Being
          son Bob joined the company in 1946                                                                                       respectful in everything we do is our
          and was instrumental in automating   Why focus on perfecting a                                                           core value and has not changed over
          the Peeps production process. Bob’s   few core products versus                                                           the years.
          son Ross and Jack’s son David joined   expanding your products
          the business in 1978 and became co-  exponentially, as other
          presidents in 1992. David Shaffer and   confectionary companies                                                          How does Just Born account
          his son-in-law Gardner “Chip” Jett   have done?                        company and history outside our                   for consistent monthly demand
          are the current co-CEOs.                                               local market because we know people               versus seasonal demand?
                                             Our focus on our four brands has    today care as much about the culture
          Remaining family owned and the     allowed us to invest and grow them   and story behind the products they               We have great production associates
          family commitment to giving back to   into some of America’s most beloved   buy as they do about the products            who are organized by the different
          our community in a variety of ways   brands. Our challenge is in how we   themselves. We have a great story              products we make: chewy candy,
          has allowed Just Born to thrive. The   educate people about our family   to tell, and we have an opportunity             marshmallow candy, and chocolate





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