Esther Price on its roots, everyday treats

The company started in 1926, and was sold to the Dressman family in 1976.

Esther Price on its company roots, everyday 'sweet treats'

courtesy of Esther Price

Esther Price Candies, known for its premium candies, locally produced milk and butter, fancy-grade almonds, pecans, cashews, and cherries, got its start in 1926.

We were recently able to touch base with Doug Dressman, CEO (and former Kettle Award nominee), to chat about the company's origins and how it keeps up with consumer trends.

Liz Parker: Can you talk about the history of Esther Price and how the company got its roots?

Doug Dressman: Esther started the company in 1926 from her kitchen, evolving it into a full-fledged candy business. She built the current factory headquarters on Wayne Avenue in Dayton, Ohio, where we still make the entire candy supply today. In 1976, Esther sold the company to my family and we’ve grown ever since. Since 1976, we’ve expanded from three to seven retail locations across Dayton and Cincinnati, with over 100 wholesale accounts, and we recently secured a spot in more than 100 Kroger stores across the state of Ohio.

LP: What sorts of products does the company make?

DD: We primarily make boxed chocolate offerings and have stayed committed to keeping our ingredients and process the same since 1926. We offer a wide selection of candies including assorted and single varieties, custom orders as well as specialty seasonal candies. Customers can find a wide variety between caramels, creams, crunchy and chewy chocolates, fruit and nuts, and fudge as well as brittle. Our private label business focuses primarily on fudge.

LP: How does the company keep up with current consumer trends?

DD: Since our culture is becoming increasingly less formal, we are expanding from only offering boxed candies that are primarily bought for major holidays, like Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, and Easter, to single serve options for every occasion. By offering the single-serve pieces, we will position Esther Price as not only a specialty candy but an everyday sweet treat as well.

LP: Anything new for the company recently or upcoming later in 2024?

DD: Our focus for the rest of 2024 and into 2025 is to plan for our 100^th anniversary in 2026. This is a major milestone and a testament to how far Esther Price has come, and we want to celebrate that with our customers in a big way.

LP: What’s your favorite Esther Price treat to enjoy?

DD: Milk Caramel Pecans and Cashew Butter Supreme.

Liz Parker Kuhn is the senior editor of Candy Industry and Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery, and has worked at BNP Media since 2012. She has written for CBS Detroit as well as for her own blogs. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan. Liz can be contacted at (248) 839-7156 or at parkere@bnpmedia.com.