Honoring the family legacy by the way they do business today is an important part of Karen Munson’s responsibility as vice president of operations — and third generation owner of Munson’s Chocolates.
It means not skimping on ingredients as some competing premium chocolate makers have done to survive in these difficult economic times. It means maintaining quality above all else, Munson says, for instance, by using only fresh butters and creams obtained locally from a farm a mile away from their manufacturing facility. And it means doing right by the customer, whether in one of their 11 retail stores across Connecticut, online with customers from across the country or as far away as China, or in the manufacturing plant, where decisions are made that affect both the quality of their product or its cost.
To do less, Munson said, “would be to completely dishonor our legacy.”
It’s a legacy that began back in 1946 when her grandparents, Ben and Josephine Munson, began making chocolate in a small store in Manchester under the name, The Dandy Candy Co.
Since, Munson’s Chocolates have gained a far-reaching clientele who return year after year in person or, now, over the Internet, to satisfy their sweet tooth or share their find with others.
Whether it’s refusing to compromise on quality and still thrive in tough times or defying the odds that a small, family owned candy business opened in 1946 would still be around more than 60 years later, the Munson family knows what it takes to sustain and grow.
“We have such a close pulse on our customers,” Karen said. “We’ve kept a local consumer mentality as we’ve grown and know very well what plays in New England and what plays in Connecticut. We respond to what is important to them.”
As a result, she said, and because Munson’s Chocolates manufactures its own candy — more than 200 different products daily — they are able to bring items to the marketplace very fast.
Listening to their customers, she said, also translates into responding to their concerns that only fresh, locally obtained ingredients are used, for instance and, that, with consumers’ growing “green” awareness, that Munson’s Chocolates takes every effort to incorporate energy conservation and recycling into their business practices.
Munson explained that they selected a company to produce their marketing brochure not only because of their high-quality work but because the company uses wind power as its primary energy source. Munson’s Chocolates also replaced all the lighting in their 40,000-square-foot manufacturing plant with energy-efficient bulbs, instituted a water and electricity conservation policy, and uses product packaging made from recyclable material.
Staying close to their customers, Munson said, has been the key to their success and a part of the Munson tradition since their founding.
“I like to think that it’s all the little things like this that we do that explain why our customers continue to choose Munson’s,” she said.â
Munson’s Chocolates
Senior Executives: Robert Munson, president and CEO
Karen Munson, vice president of operations
Location: Bolton
Local Employees: 150 (varies seasonally)
Winning Category: Sustainability
