Schimpff’s Confectionery

What Schimpff’s Confectionery does

Schimpff's Confectionery is a family-owned candy company in continuous operation since 1891 at 347 Spring Street in historic downtown Jeffersonville, Indiana, currently in its sixth generation of ownership under Steve and Beth Shepherd. The company produces handcrafted hard candies (signature Cinnamon Red Hots, Lemon Drops, Chocolate Drops, Blue Raspberry Drops, and Fish Candy in 20 flavors), hand-dipped chocolates (creams, caramels, meltaways, turtles), and regional specialties such as Modjeskas, peanut and cashew brittle, and English Toffee. Production runs on century-old turn-of-the-century equipment — including drop roll machines with hand-made brass rollers — using recipes from founder Gus Schimpff Sr.'s hand-written 1880s recipe book that are trade-secret protected.

The business model combines destination retail, experiential tourism, and direct e-commerce. The flagship storefront at 347 Spring Street operates Monday–Saturday 10am–5pm and is bundled with a 1950s soda fountain/deli, a free Candy Museum (added in 2001, housing thousands of pieces of American candy memorabilia), and free live candy making demonstrations offered five times daily. Group demonstrations can be pre-booked for up to 40 people. Remote customers purchase via shop.schimpffs.com with shipping throughout the U.S.; chocolate items cannot be shipped May–September due to heat sensitivity. Pricing is unit-based (e.g., hard candy 1 lb. at $20.00, 1/2 lb. at $10.00; select-your-own 1/4 lb. bags at $3.25–$4.00; gift certificates in $10/$20/$50 denominations).

Customer segments are diversified across tourists and families, regional local customers from the Kentuckiana region seeking traditional local confections (Modjeskas, Red Hots), and group tours and events. Growth channels include earned media features on Food Network, History Channel's 'Modern Marvels,' Paula Deen's show, regional recognition from Louisville Business First as a top 20 for-profit attraction, and organic social on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. The business has six employees, no disclosed third-party investors, no app, and no public revenue figure; the 2026 ownership transfer to Steve and Beth Shepherd signals continuity rather than change in scope or capital structure.

Name

Schimpff’s Confectionery

Legal name

Schimpff's Confectionery

Website

https://schimpffs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1891

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Schimpff's Confectionery is a sixth-generation, family-owned candy maker in Jeffersonville, Indiana, producing handcrafted hard candies, chocolates, and regional specialties on century-old equipment since 1891, and serving tourists, regional customers, and online buyers via a flagship store, candy museum, and direct e-commerce.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Handcrafted Confectionery

NAICS

Confectionery and Nut Retailers (445292), Chocolate and Confectionery Manufacturing (31135), Nonchocolate Confectionery Manufacturing (31134)

SIC

Sugar & Confectionery Products (2060), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Candy & Specialty Sweets Stores (THAFAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Chocolate & Chocolate Confectionery (CRADABAA), Confectionery Manufacturing (Chocolate, Candy, Gum) (AFAKAAAD), Chocolate & Confectionery Shops (THAFAGAD)

Keywords

• Handcrafted confectionery
• Hard candy production
• Chocolate manufacturing
• Soda fountain dining
• Heritage candy retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Jeffersonville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Retail Candy Sales: Direct sales of handcrafted confections including hard candy (Red Hots, Lemon Drops, Chocolate Drops, Blue Raspberry Drops), chocolates (assorted, creams, caramels, turtles, meltaways), and specialties (Modjeskas, Peanut Brittle, Cashew Brittle, English Toffee). Products sold by weight (1 lb, 1/2 lb) or unit (boxes of chocolates).
2. E-commerce Sales: Online sales through shop.schimpffs.com allowing remote customers to purchase candies with shipping throughout the US (excluding chocolate items May-September due to heat sensitivity).
3. Soda Fountain and Deli: On-site 1950s soda fountain with original tin ceiling serving food and beverages. Deli open daily with hours Mon-Fri 11am-3pm, Sat 11am-2pm.
4. Gift Certificates: Gift certificates available in $10, $20, and $50 denominations for in-store purchases.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Schimpff's Confectionery manufactures and sells handcrafted hard candies, chocolates, and specialty confections using recipes and equipment dating to the 1880s. The business operates a flagship retail store in Jeffersonville, Indiana, complemented by an e-commerce storefront, an on-site candy museum, free live candy making demonstrations, and a 1950s soda fountain with deli service.

Product overview

Schimpff's Confectionery is a family-owned candy company operating since 1891, offering handcrafted confections across three main product categories: Hard Candy (including signature Cinnamon Red Hots, Lemon Drops, Chocolate Drops, Blue Raspberry Drops, and Fish Candy), Chocolates (hand-dipped Assorted Chocolates, Peanut Butter Meltaways, Turtles, Caramels, and various assortments), and Specialties (Modjeskas, Peanut Brittle, Cashew Brittle, and English Toffee). Beyond retail candy products, the company operates a Candy Museum featuring thousands of pieces of American candy memorabilia and offers free live candy making demonstrations on century-old equipment. The business also features a 1950s soda fountain with deli service. All products are made using original recipes dating back to the 1880s, with the same equipment and handcrafting methods maintained since the company's founding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Wilbur Chocolate / Lititz Chocolate Expo: Long-running Pennsylvania chocolate manufacturer (founded 1884) offering retail candy store, factory tour, and tourist destination experience in Lititz, PA. Comparable to Schimpff's in heritage manufacturing heritage plus in-store experiential/tourist model.
• The Hershey Company: Largest North American chocolate manufacturer and Hershey's brand operator with visitor experiences at Hersheypark and Hershey's Chocolate World retail attractions. Comparable as a chocolate/confectionery operator with destination retail and tourism experiences, though at vastly larger scale and broader product portfolio.
• Jelly Belly Candy Company: Large-scale American manufacturer of jelly beans and confections founded in 1898, operating a flagship retail store, factory tours, and museum in Fairfield, California. Comparable to Schimpff's heritage manufacturing plus in-store tourist/experiential offering, though at much larger scale.

Direct peers

• Hammond's Candies: Family-owned heritage candy maker founded in 1920 in Denver, Colorado, handcrafting hard candies, lollipops, and ribbon candy on traditional equipment with a factory tour experience. Highly comparable to Schimpff's in vintage equipment, handcrafted hard candy focus, and tourist-oriented factory tour model.
• Harbor Sweets: Family-owned Salem, Massachusetts confectioner founded in 1973 producing handcrafted chocolate-covered confections and boxed assortments with strong tourism and gift positioning. Comparable heritage craft confectioner operating a retail destination and e-commerce.
• Powell's Sweet Shoppe: Specialty retail candy store chain selling bulk and packaged confections in a nostalgic, old-fashioned store environment across multiple US locations. Comparable to Schimpff's in experiential, vintage-aesthetic retail candy merchandising and tourism/gift positioning.
• Enstrom's Almond Toffee: Family-owned confectioner founded in 1920 in Grand Junction, Colorado, specializing in hand-crafted almond toffee and seasonal boxed assortments with retail, online, and wholesale distribution. Comparable to Schimpff's in scale, heritage positioning, and family-operated craft production of regional specialty confections.
• Shirley Pew's Confectionery: Family-owned hand-dipped chocolate and confectionery shop in historic West Chester, Pennsylvania, in continuous operation since 1945. Comparable small-scale family heritage confectioner with similar gift and tourist positioning.
• See's Candies: Long-established American heritage candy retailer founded in 1921, operating a network of company-owned retail shops selling boxed chocolates, lollypops, and seasonal confections. Highly comparable to Schimpff's as a multi-generational, experience-driven specialty candy retailer with premium pricing and gift-focused merchandising.
• Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory: Franchised specialty chocolate retailer operating over 200 company-owned and franchised locations across the US, selling caramel apples, chocolates, and hand-dipped confections. Comparable as a multi-location retail chocolate brand targeting tourist and gift-purchase occasions similar to Schimpff's tourist-driven model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/schimpffs.confectionery
• TikToktiktok.com/@schimpffs.confect
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/schimpff%E2%80%99s-confectionery

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Schimpff’s Confectionery