St. Louis-based gourmet chocolate and confection company, Bissinger’s Handcrafted Chocolatier, has announced the acquisition of Bochner Chocolates of Iowa City, Iowa.
The acquisition will significantly expand Bissinger’s operations and the company’s ability to meet increasing demand for its premium, high-quality confections, according to a press release.
“With this acquisition, Bissinger’s secures its position in the national premium gourmet confection category,” said Bissinger’s President Ken Kellerhals. “Building a premier boutique chocolatier with national presence has been our goal for the past 15 years. Growth is the core of the company’s strategic plan,” he said. “To enable growth that meets retailer demand, we had to acquire a like-minded company with state-of-the-art capabilities that complement Bissinger’s heritage, quality, strategy, products and sales network. This is the perfect fit for Bissinger’s.”
Four of Bissinger’s main product lines have doubled in units sold in 2012, according to the release. The company projects $20 million in sales for 2013.
To fully integrate with Bissinger’s, Bochner Chocolates will move several key people and equipment to St. Louis. Meanwhile, Bissinger’s is reviewing several building options in St. Louis. Along with a physical move, it will also create 40 full and part-time jobs for the area.
Bissinger’s confections are available locally at its stores in Plaza Frontenac and Maryland Plaza, all Straub’s locations, Whole Foods Market, Dillard’s and Neiman Marcus.
This article appears in December 2012.