Stretch Island

What Stretch Island does

Stretch Island is a Chicago-based, privately held consumer packaged goods company that produces organic fruit snacks and gummy candies, founded in 1976. The company operates the Black Forest Snacks brand, offering a portfolio of USDA Certified Organic products including Organic Gummy Bears, Organic Gummy Forest Friends (animal-shaped gummies), Juicy Burst Mixed Fruit, Juicy Burst Berry Medley fruit snack pieces, and Fruit Strips. All products are formulated with colors and flavors derived from real fruits and vegetables rather than artificial sources and contain real fruit juice as a primary ingredient, positioning the brand within the clean-label and organic confectionery segment.

The company's underlying production capability centers on formulating gummy candy and fruit snack formats using only naturally sourced colors and flavors, supported by USDA organic certification that applies across the core product lineup. Distribution occurs through major grocery chains, convenience stores, and the company's own e-commerce website, with the brand maintaining active consumer-facing social media accounts on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube to drive top-of-funnel awareness. The primary customer segments are health-conscious consumers seeking organic and clean-label snack options and families with children looking for treats made with real, recognizable ingredients.

Stretch Island operates as a portfolio brand under Ferrara, a diversified candy conglomerate, with shared corporate infrastructure for supply chain transparency, contact, careers, and privacy functions. The revenue model is one-time retail purchase of packaged consumer goods at the point of sale, with no subscription or licensing components disclosed. The company employs between 51 and 100 people and maintains a domestic U.S. market focus with no international operations disclosed.

Name

Stretch Island

Legal name

Black Forest Snacks

Website

https://stretchislandfruit.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Stretch Island is a Chicago-based organic fruit snack and gummy candy producer founded in 1976, operating the Black Forest Snacks brand under Ferrara. It serves health-conscious consumers and families with USDA Certified Organic products sold through grocery, convenience, and e-commerce channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Consumer Packaged Goods Retail Sales: The company generates revenue through the sale of organic gummy candies and fruit snacks to consumers via retail grocery stores, convenience stores, and online channels. Products are sold as packaged consumer goods with one-time purchase transactions at point of sale.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Stretch Island (operating in the market as Black Forest Snacks) manufactures and sells organic gummy candies and fruit snacks made with real fruit juice and with colors and flavors derived from real fruit and vegetable sources. The product line includes shaped gummy candies (Organic Gummy Bears, Organic Gummy Forest Friends), chewable fruit snack pieces (Juicy Burst Mixed Fruit, Juicy Burst Berry Medley), and Fruit Strips. All products in the core lineup carry USDA certified organic designation and are sold as packaged consumer goods.

Product overview

Black Forest Snacks is a single-brand gummy candy and fruit snack company offering a portfolio of USDA certified organic products. The core lineup consists of Organic Gummy Bears and Organic Gummy Forest Friends (shaped gummy candies) alongside Juicy Burst Mixed Fruit and Juicy Burst Berry Medley (fruit snack pieces), plus Fruit Strips (chewy strip-format snacks). All products emphasize real fruit juice content, colors and flavors derived from real fruits and vegetables rather than artificial sources, and organic certification.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Organic Gummy Bears USDA certified organic gummy candy in the brand's signature teddy bear shape, made with colors and flavors from real fruit and vegetable sources and containing real fruit juice.
• Organic Gummy Forest Friends USDA certified organic gummy candy in forest-themed animal shapes, crafted with real fruit colors and flavors and real fruit juice.
• Juicy Burst Mixed Fruit Fruit snack pieces in mixed fruit flavors, made with real fruit juice and colors from real fruit and vegetable sources.
• Juicy Burst Berry Medley Berry-flavored fruit snack pieces made with real fruit juice and colors from real fruit and vegetable sources.
• Fruit Strips Soft, chewy fruit strip snacks made with real fruit ingredients and colors from real fruit sources.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• FerraracoreOthersFerrara is the parent company of Black Forest Snacks. The brand operates under the Ferrara corporate umbrella, with shared infrastructure for contact, careers, privacy policy, and supply chain transparency information linking to ferrara.com. Ferrara owns multiple candy brands including Black Forest Snacks.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• YumEarth: YumEarth is a direct competitor in organic, allergy-friendly gummy candies, fruit snacks, and candy products sold through grocery and natural channels — overlapping directly with Black Forest's organic gummy and fruit snack positioning.
• SmartSweets: SmartSweets competes directly with low-sugar, better-for-you gummy and candy products targeted at health-conscious consumers via retail and DTC — overlapping with Black Forest's natural/organic gummy positioning.
• Surf Sweets: Surf Sweets is a direct competitor in organic, non-GMO gummy candy and fruit snacks distributed through natural and mainstream grocery channels, overlapping tightly with Black Forest's organic gummy lineup.

Broad incumbents

• Annie's Homegrown: Annie's (General Mills) is a broad incumbent in organic, family-friendly snacks and foods — overlapping with Black Forest's organic, family-targeted gummy and fruit snack positioning and providing an established organic CPG playbook.
• Haribo: Haribo is the global incumbent in gummy bears and gummy candy, the category Black Forest's Organic Gummy Bears compete in; it serves mainstream channels at scale and sets the category benchmark.
• Mott's: Mott's (Keurig Dr Pepper) is a broad incumbent in fruit-flavored snacks and apple sauce for kids, sold widely through grocery and convenience — a comparable mass-market fruit snack competitor.
• Welch's Fruit Snacks: Welch's is a broad incumbent in fruit snacks and rolls out an established mainstream fruit snack portfolio through grocery and club — overlapping with Black Forest's Juicy Burst fruit snack SKUs.

Emerging players

• MadeGood: MadeGood is an emerging player in organic, allergen-free snacks including fruit snacks and crackers, sold through natural and mainstream grocery — a fast-rising adjacent competitor with overlapping organic credentials.
• Tru Fru: Tru Fru is an emerging player in fruit-forward snacks (freeze-dried fruit and chocolate-covered fruit) sold through mainstream grocery and club — overlapping with Stretch Island/Black Forest's real-fruit snacking proposition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@blackforestusa2814
• Facebookfacebook.com/BlackForestUSA
• Instagraminstagram.com/blackforestusa
• TikToktiktok.com/@blackforest
• Xx.com/stretchisland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stretch-island-fruit-sales-l-l-c-

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Stretch Island