Long Grove Confectionery Sold

Baldi Candy Co., which does business as Arway Confections Inc. in Chicago, has reached an agreement to purchase the business and real estate of Long Grove Confectionery Co. (LGC) of Buffalo Grove, Ill.

Arway Confections, a 63-year-old family-owned business, plans to retain the Long Grove Confectionery name and employees, including David Mangel, LGC’s vice president, who will play an active role in sales and product development, and Dwayne Hallan, director of operations.

The combined entity will use both the existing 75,000-square-foot Arway manufacturing facility in Chicago as well as the newly acquired 85,000-square-foot LGC facility in Buffalo Grove. LGC’s retail store in Long Grove, Ill., and factory store in Buffalo Grove will also remain open.

Craig Leva, president and owner of Arway, who has been with the company since 1991, will continue in his role following the completion of the transaction. 

“We are very excited about this acquisition,” said Leva, “the tremendous opportunities and the natural synergies there are by combining the operations of these two great storied Chicago-area companies.”

Founded in 1974 by John and Heidi Mangel, LGC manufactures a line of high-quality gourmet chocolates that are sold in department stores, gift shops, specialty stores and mail-order catalogs.

Arway Confections opened in 1950 and is a supplier to hundreds of distributors, retailers, fund-raisers, baggers, catalogs, nut companies and marketing companies with a wide array of bulk chocolates, confections, coated pretzels, roasted nuts and trail mixes. The company also manages a retail outlet and a direct-to-consumer division called Chicago Candy & Nut.