FORTY FORT
More than 17 years ago, Sugar Plum Chocolates started with a small store on South Main Street in Wilkes-Barre.
The family-owned e-commerce company has since grown into a global gourmet chocolate giant which sells candy, confections and handcrafted chocolates all over the world.
Owners Frann Edley, 62, and her son, Neil Edley, 32, moved the business to the United Penn Plaza in Kingston in 1996 and to its current factory and showroom on Dilley Street in Forty Fort years later. They have expanded to include a vegan kitchen, chocolate room, wrap room, shipping room and offices in Forty Fort.
It was in 1996, when Mr. Edley was 16 years old, that he had an idea to launch an online business.
"I was just messing around with computers and we started it online then," he said. "It was a different way of shopping."
Since that time, the Internet has grown into a powerful platform that changed the way people shop and do business and has led to Sugar Plum increasing its customer base internationally.
"We have gotten orders from Belgium and the United Kingdom. We just shipped to Scotland the other day. We ship to Africa and China and all over," Mr. Edley said. "We service stores throughout all the provinces of Canada. We have a big presence in Toronto."
In recent years, Sugar Plum has continued to stay in tune with the way people use the Internet and has used tools such as Facebook and Twitter to communicate with customers and market products.
"We're always telling people what we're doing," Mr. Edley said. "Anybody can go and start something but we're building a legacy. We're always, seven days a week, working. I never stop. I live, sleep and breathe chocolate."
Sugar Plum is a good example of a small business that used the Internet to dramatically increase its reach, said Justin Matus, associate professor of business at Wilkes University. He said it was not solely the Internet that led to the success of this business and other small businesses, however.
"The Internet is a double-edged sword. On one hand, you can potentially reach a billion customers but on the other hand, so could everyone else so at the end of the day, you still have to find a way to differentiate yourself in the marketplace," Mr. Matus said. "On the other hand, in the pre-Internet world, a business might have had a great product and was able to hit a single or double and now has the potential to hit a grand slam or the World Series."
Sugar Plum Chocolates has differentiated itself by using local ingredients as well as top-grade international products and unique flavors, Mr. Edley said. Everything is handmade in Forty Fort and they don't use machines, he said.
"Our ingredients are just pretty amazing," he said. "We try to wow the customer."
Sugar Plum's products have received widespread recognition and were featured on the Rachael Ray Show and reviewed in Chocolatier Magazine, Bridal Guide, Women's Day, and Brentwood Magazine. Its customers have included several celebrities ranging from billionaire Warren Buffett to the late Michael Jackson, Mr. Edley said. They also make gummy candy, which is sold in stores such as FAO Schwartz in New York City.
This year, Sugar Plum introduced liquor nuts, which have been well-received by consumers. Mr. Edley said one of the company's most popular sellers are chocolate cupcakes called "chupcakes," which are popular in Asia and all over the world. Christmas is the busiest time of year for Sugar Plum Chocolates since handmade chocolates are popular gifts, Mr. Edley said.
Mr. Edley highlighted the benefits and convenience of online shopping, saying, "You can shop on an iPad. You can lay on a beach and order from a cell phone. All you do is click and pay and it's out the door the next day."
"We make every order. When you buy from Sugar Plum, you're getting it made just from you. You're not getting something from a warehouse," he said. "You get a hand-written card as well."
The Edleys would not say how big their factory is now or how many employees they have. They employ seasonal workers, they said. They said their workforce has grown, but they would not say by how much and would not provide a tour of the kitchen.
Mrs. Edley described the growth of Sugar Plum Chocolates as "just incredible." The business formerly sold products out of a big catalog. Now, everything is sold online, she said.
"I started at a little round table downtown. Now we have this factory," she said. "It has been an amazing experience."
Contact the writer: dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com