It's crunch time for area candy companies as many prep for a weekend rush of Halloween shoppers. That includes our area's largest candy company, Gertrude Hawk Chocolates.
To gear up for this spooktacular holiday, Gertrude Hawk starts producing its Halloween candy in August.
Newswatch 16's Ryan Leckey stopped by Gertrude Hawk's Dickson City store, one of the company's 52 locations, to offer a behind the scenes look at the weekend prep work including the dipping of the most popular fall item, caramel and chocolate dipped apples.
The company makes more than 60,000 of them in the fall for the Halloween season.
To keep up with this holiday's demand along with Thanksgiving and Christmas, the company is opening an additional store in Dickson City on November 3rd, next to Target.
As for Halloween spending, it's expected to be a record-breaking year. The National Retail Federation predicts spending will reach an overall $9.1 billion versus last year’s $8.4 billion.
Gertrude Hawk is also one of eight corporate sponsors with WNEP-TV’s Ryan’s Run which helps kids and adults with disabilities served by Allied Services. Click here to learn more about our charity campaign. The company continues to expand its fundraising efforts and to date has helped countless non-profits raise funds through chocolate bar and catalog sales. To learn more, head here or call 1-800-706-6275.
On Friday morning, Gertrude Hawk presented a check to Allied Services.
FUN FACTS ABOUT GERTRUDE HAWK HISTORY:
- Gertrude Hawk started making chocolates in her kitchen in Scranton in 1936.
- She began by helping local church groups and organizations raise money by selling her chocolates.
- Today, our chocolates are made only 5 miles away from the original kitchen.
- 200,000 lbs of chocolate produced each week, all year long
- 4 million lbs of chocolate produced each year – just GHC products
- 60,000 caramel dipped apples sold each fall – all hand dipped
- 52 retail stores in NY, NJ, and PA
- Smidgens are the #1 seller throughout the year
- Peanut butter smidgens are favorite flavor all year round
- Bringing back Dark Chocolate Cookies & Cream smidgen for holiday season
- Currently producing holiday products