Todd Kluger, vice president of sales and marketing, OCHO Candy, announced in a LinkedIn post today that as of yesterday, February 1, the company has ceased its operations.
"OCHO Candy 2010-2024. To paraphrase Ernest Hemingway from The Sun Also Rises, 'How did your company end?' 'Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly,'" Kluger lamented.
The former VP of sales and marketing explained that the company's "failure," as he put it, was due to a lack of ongoing funding, and "not from a lack of character, creativity, or hard work ethic that all of the employees exemplified."
Scott Kucirek, the company's former CEO as of October 2023, also published a LinkedIn post about the company's closing, saying: "Can't say this any better than Todd Kluger. It was my honor to work there for over 13 plus years with amazing people who made the world's best candy. Although I departed in October, I hoped that the company would continue. Unfortunately, the parent company took another direction."
The company's accomplishments, according to Kluger, included:
- Over $100 million retail sales of organic and Fair Trade certified chocolate
- Went from hand-making all candy to creating a one-of-a-kind production line
- Had over 50 items created and in its product lineup
- Nationwide distribution in the U.S. and Australia through many retailers
- Moved entire production line to Trinidad & Tobago during the pandemic
- 20k followers on Instagram, 43k followers on Facebook, 12k followers on TikTok
The last new OCHO Candy product that Candy Industry posted about was in February of last year, when it debuted a plant-based caramel line in partnership with Miyoko's Creamery. OCHO Candy's line was molded, lending the dark chocolate shell a shine and snap.
In the past, the company had launched caramel eggs and a PB&J line to its lineup of chocolate products, both in 2018.
