Hershey and the chocolate factory!
We all love chocolate bars especially I am a BIG FAN, though I do not have a sweet tooth but whenever I see them my heart turns feeble and irresistible. But, have you ever thought that from where do they actually originate, whose idea was it to make them available to the public. He is none other than renowned American confectioner, philanthropist and Milton Snavely Hershey who was the founder of The Hershey Chocolate Company.
Born in rural Pennsylvania and with limited education in hand his journey towards becoming a greatest and innovative entrepreneur was never an easy ride. He suffered many hardships and failures. After successive failure in his caramel candy business, he returned to his farms and started The Lancaster Caramel Company in 1886. It became a huge success due its rich quality and economical prices. However, something bigger and better was waiting for Hershey.
In 1900 when chocolate had started taking the shape of candy and bars in America, the demand became enormously high but so were the value. The elite class only enjoyed it, as the cost was unbearable for the middle class. Hershey’s was determined that he will expand the availability and that too at an affordable price. He started coating his caramel candies with chocolate layer, which became huge accomplishment in a short span.
Then he took an audacious step and sold his Lancester Caramel Company so that he can fully concentrate on his chocolate business. He was determined to bring Chocolate bar, which was a luxury product to general American public. Hershey in the beginning purchased farmland about 30 miles northwest of Lancaster, near his birthplace of DerryChurch. So that, he could obtain the large supplies of fresh milk needed to perfect and produce fine milk chocolate. After that, it he never looked back, his growth and profit amplified by leaps and bounds.
The credit for what The Hershey chocolate Company is today goes to Milton who, with his constant determination and perseverance never ceased to move forward no matter how difficult the situation got. His passion and affinity for confection making helped him not only in catering the requirements of public but also in maintaining the quality as well. His futuristic vision and experiments helped him in taking that big risk which any businessperson take years for taking and then another handful of years in acting on it.