Gerrit J. Verburg Company

What Gerrit J. Verburg Company does

Gerrit J. Verburg Company, founded in 1979 and headquartered in Fenton, Michigan, is a privately held confectionery distributor and brand curator that imports and markets vintage and international candies across the United States. The company operates a family of proprietary brands — Fort Knox Chocolate (premium foil-wrapped coins and medallions since 1988), Gerrit's Originals (nostalgic novelties including MiniMini Chicle Gum, Candy Cash, and Satellite Wafers with tongue tattoos), Gerrit's Bakery (European-style stroop wafels and cake toppers), Gustaf's (Dutch licorice and international gummies), and Vintage Gums (Beemans, Black Jack, Clove, Teaberry) — with products sourced from the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Morocco, and Spain.

The company sells through a hybrid go-to-market combining a Shopify-powered direct-to-consumer storefront at gerritjverburg.com, an Amazon marketplace store, an authorized retailer wholesale program with bulk and packaged catalogs, and distribution into national retail chains including Michaels, Cracker Barrel, Old Navy, and IT SUGAR. Underlying operations rely on standard commerce tooling (Shopify, Google Analytics) rather than proprietary technology, and the business model is transactional product sales across all channels with contact-based wholesale pricing rather than disclosed list pricing.

Name

Gerrit J. Verburg Company

Legal name

Gerrit J Verburg Co.

Website

https://gerritjverburg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Gerrit J. Verburg Company is a Michigan-based confectionery distributor and brand curator, importing and marketing vintage American and European candies across proprietary brands through wholesale, e-commerce, and retail partnerships in the U.S.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Confectionery Distribution

NAICS

Confectionery Merchant Wholesalers (42445), General Line Grocery Merchant Wholesalers (424410), Confectionery and Nut Retailers (445292), Nonchocolate Confectionery Manufacturing (31134), Confectionery Manufacturing from Purchased Chocolate (311352)

SIC

Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141), Bakery Products (2050)

akta.pro primary industry

Confectionery, Snacks & Specialty Sweets Wholesale Distribution (CRAOAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Confectionery (Candy & Chocolate) Wholesale (AFAIAFAC), Pastry, Cakes & Desserts Wholesale (AFAIAFAB), Sugar Confectionery (Gummies, Hard Candy, Chews) (CRADABAB), Specialty Chocolatiers & Confectionery (CRAHAGAH)

Keywords

• Confectionery distribution
• Wholesale candy
• Vintage candy brands
• European confectionery import
• Chocolate wholesale

Headquarters

HQ city

Fenton

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales - Wholesale/B2B: Wholesale distribution of confectionery products to authorized retailers nationwide through bulk and packaged catalogs.
2. Product Sales - E-commerce/DTC: Direct-to-consumer sales through company e-commerce storefront and Amazon marketplace.
3. Product Sales - International Sourcing: Importation and distribution of European confectioneries including Dutch licorice, Belgian chocolate, Italian licorice wheels, Turkish stroop wafels, and Moroccan MiniMini chicle gum.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Gerrit J. Verburg Company is a confectionery distributor and brand curator that imports, curates, and distributes a portfolio of branded candy, chocolate, licorice, gum, and bakery products under proprietary sub-brands (Fort Knox, Gerrit's Originals, Gerrit's Bakery, Gustaf's, Vintage Gums). The company sells these products through three primary channels: wholesale to authorized retailers nationwide, direct-to-consumer via its Shopify e-commerce storefront, and through the Amazon marketplace.

Product overview

Gerrit J. Verburg Company is a confectionery distributor and brand curator founded in 1979, based in Fenton, Michigan, specializing in vintage candy classics and international sweets. The company operates five sub-brands: Fort Knox® Chocolate (premium chocolate coins and medallions since 1988), Gerrit's® Originals (nostalgic favorites like MiniMini Chicle Gum, Candy Cash, and Satellite Wafers), Gerrit's® Bakery (European pastries including Stroop Wafels and cake toppers), Gustaf's® (Dutch licorice and international gummy candies including Allsorts, Wine Gums, and sour varieties), and Vintage Gums (classic Beemans®, Black Jack®, Clove®, and Teaberry gums). Products are primarily imported from Europe and sold through retail partners nationwide and on Amazon.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fort Knox Chocolate: A national treasure since 1988, Fort Knox Chocolate delivers rich, melt-in-your-mouth luxury in milk, dark, and creamy white chocolate.
• Gustaf's
• Gerrit's Originals
• Gerrit's Bakery
• Vintage Gums

Products and services

• Fort Knox® Chocolate A chocolate brand since 1988 offering rich milk, dark, and white chocolate coins, medallions, and bars in various shapes and foil wrappings for holidays and celebrations. Sold to retailers and consumers.
• Gerrit's® Originals A nostalgic candy line featuring unique sweets inspired by childhood memories, including MiniMini Chicle Gum, Candy Cash, and Satellite Wafers. Sold to retailers and consumers.
• Gerrit's® Bakery European-style pastries including Mini Stroop Wafels with caramel centers and decorative cake toppers. Sold to retailers and consumers.
• Gustaf's® International candy collection featuring Dutch licorice (Allsorts, Dutch Licorice Coins, Cats, Beagles, Beehives), gummies (Jelly Babies, Wine Gums), and sour candies sourced from around the world. Sold to retailers and consumers.
• Vintage Gums Classic American chewing gums including Beemans®, Black Jack®, Clove®, and Teaberry gums available in both regular and sugar-free formulations. Sold to retailers and consumers.
• Fort Knox® Gold Coins Gold foil-wrapped milk chocolate coins in 1.5" and 1.1" sizes, kosher-certified, gluten-free, and GMO-free. Sold to retailers and consumers.
• Fort Knox® Huge Medallions Mixed Coins 4-inch wide embossed milk chocolate medallions, gluten-free and GMO-free. Sold to retailers and consumers.
• Fort Knox® Mega Medallions Large 5-inch embossed milk chocolate coins, gluten-free, GMO-free, and nut-free. Sold to retailers and consumers.
• Fort Knox® Tower Box 1 lb of premium Belgian milk chocolate coins in a tower box, gluten-free, kosher-certified, GMO-free, and nut-free. Sold to retailers and consumers.
• Gerrit's® Chanukah Gelt Tower Box 1 lb of creamy Belgian chocolate Chanukah gelt coins, gluten-free, kosher-certified, GMO-free, and nut-free. Sold to retailers and consumers.
• Gerrit's MiniMini® Chicle Gum Tiny crunchy chewing gum pieces in Fruit and Sugar-Free Mint flavors, inspired by classic Chiclets. Sold to retailers (including Michaels, Cracker Barrel, Old Navy, IT SUGAR) and consumers.
• Gerrit's® Candy Cash Edible strawberry-flavored candy bills that look like real money, gluten-free, made in Spain. Sold to retailers and consumers.
• Gerrit's® Blue Raspberry Satellite Wafers® with Tongue Tattoos Crispy wafers with fizzy candy pearls inside and edible tongue tattoos, featuring bold blue raspberry flavor. Sold to retailers and consumers.
• Gerrit's® Broadway on Wheels Blue Raspberry Chewy blue raspberry licorice wheels made in Italy, GMO-free. Sold to retailers and consumers.
• Sugar-Free Beemans® Chewing Gum Sugar-free version of the classic Beemans gum with herbal and wintergreen flavor, bite-sized pieces with hard shell coating. Sold to retailers and consumers.
• Sugar-Free Clove® Chewing Gum Sugar-free clove gum with hints of cinnamon and allspice, bite-sized pieces with hard shell coating. Sold to retailers and consumers.
• Sugar-Free Black Jack® Chewing Gum America's first flavored gum now in sugar-free form with bold black licorice flavor enhanced with anise and ginger. Sold to retailers and consumers.
• Gerrit's Bakery Mini Stroop Wafels Bite-sized Dutch stroop wafels with thin crispy waffles filled with sweet gooey caramel center, made in Turkey. Sold to retailers and consumers.
• Gustaf's® Allsorts Popular Dutch licorice assortment featuring mixed shapes and flavors. Sold to retailers and consumers.
• Gerrit's® Cherry Lollipops Twin cherry-flavored lollipops. Sold to retailers and consumers.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• MichaelscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMichaels is a retail distribution partner for Gerrit J. Verburg products, specifically carrying MiniMini Chicle Gum in their craft and party supply stores nationwide.
• Cracker BarrelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCracker Barrel is a retail distribution partner for Gerrit J. Verburg products, specifically carrying MiniMini Chicle Gum in their country restaurant and retail stores.
• Old NavycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOld Navy is a retail distribution partner for Gerrit J. Verburg products, specifically carrying MiniMini Chicle Gum in their clothing retail locations.
• IT SUGARcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIT SUGAR is a specialty candy retail chain and distribution partner for Gerrit J. Verburg products, specifically carrying MiniMini Chicle Gum in their stores.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationE-commerce platform provider powering the gerritjverburg.com online store for product sales and distribution.
• AmazoncoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMarketplace platform for selling Gerrit J. Verburg confectionery products to direct consumers through Amazon's e-commerce infrastructure.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Economy Candy: Long-running New York-based vintage and international candy importer/wholesaler serving both retail and direct customers, with a comparable focus on nostalgic and hard-to-find European/confectionery brands.
• IT'SUGAR: Specialty candy retail chain carrying imported and licensed confectionery brands including Gerrit's MiniMini; comparable vintage/nostalgia positioning and cross-over with GJV's wholesale customer base.
• Candy Warehouse: Online bulk and retail candy distributor carrying vintage and novelty confectionery brands with a comparable mix of imported European sweets, themed occasions, and wholesale/B2C reach.
• Lolli & Pops: Specialty candy retailer focused on novelty, imported, and themed confections; comparable customer experience, themed-merchandising model, and vintage/international SKU mix.

Broad incumbents

• Jelly Belly Candy Company: Large specialty confectionery brand operating licensed/specialty product lines, themed collections, and global distribution comparable in breadth to GJV's multi-brand strategy.
• See's Candies: Iconic US boxed-chocolate and confectionery brand with strong nostalgic appeal, gifting, and seasonal collections that overlap with GJV's Fort Knox chocolate and themed party merchandise.
• R.M. Palmer Company: Mid-sized chocolate manufacturer with deep seasonal and branded assortment plus national retail presence; comparable in segment focus (chocolate and holiday-themed confections) and distribution model.
• Frankford Candy Company: Licensed and seasonal confectionery manufacturer with national mass-retail distribution and seasonal/Licensed novelty positioning similar to GJV's curated, nostalgia-led portfolio.
• World's Finest Chocolate: National chocolate and seasonal confectionery brand with strong fundraising and seasonal gelt/coin categories that directly overlap GJV's Fort Knox Chanukah/Holiday gelt and chocolate medallion lines.
• Spangler Candy Company: Established US confectionery manufacturer and distributor of branded candies with multi-channel retail and seasonal SKU strategy similar to GJV's portfolio approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gerritverburg
• Facebookfacebook.com/gerritjverburgcompany
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gerrit-j-verburg-co.

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 Gerrit J. Verburg Company