Russell Stover Chocolates History


1923Clara and Russell Stover begin making candy in the kitchen of their Denver bungalow home. The company, initially employing seven employees, is first known as Mrs. Stover's Bungalow Candies
1924The Stovers operate five stores in Denver and stores in Kansas City, Lincoln, Omaha and St. Louis.
1928The Stovers find their business is expanding rapidly and open their first factory in Kansas City, Missouri.
1932All company operations relocate to Kansas City.
1934The Stovers open a drive-in store, ice cream parlor and ice cream factory in Kansas City.
1943The company name is officially changed to Russell Stover Candies. Russell Stover heads the Committee for the National Confectioners Association in Washington D.C.
1954Russell Stover dies at the age of 66 on May 11th.
1960Louis Ward, a box maker who has been supplying packaging materials to Russell Stover Candies, purchases controlling interest in the company. At this time the company is publicly traded.
1975Clara Stover dies at the age of 93.
1981Russell Stover Candies again becomes a privately owned company.
1993Tom and Scott Ward are named co-presidents of Russell Stover Candies. Russell Stover Candies acquires Whitman's Candies.
1994It is a box of Russell Stover chocolates that leads Forrest Gump to quote his mother..."My mama always said, life was like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get."
1996Louis Ward dies at the age of 76 on February 10th.
1998Russell Stover Candies launches a line of sugar-free chocolates and quickly becomes the leading producer of sugar-free candies in America.
2002Russell Stover Candies was awarded six Gold Taste Awards by the prestigious American Culinary Institute. The awards recognized Russell Stover as having America's best-tasting toffee, chocolate covered cherries, fudge, truffles, nut bars and sugar-free chocolates.
2003Russell Stover Candies launches a Net Carb line of "reduced carb" chocolates to meet the needs of consumers leading low carb lifestyles. A Net Carb Whitman's Sampler® is also introduced.
2004Two new product lines designed specifically for diabetic consumers are also added. Diabetix, by Russell Stover and Whitman's Sucratrol lines offer diabetic consumers great-tasting chocolates that are also fortified with chromium, zinc and magnesium.
2005Whitman's Candies partners with Weight Watchers International to launch the Weight Watchers® by Whitman's® line of chocolate candies. each of these chocolate candies has a POINTS® value of 1 per piece and contains no trans fat.
2008Russell Stover Candies celebrates their 85th anniversary
2012Whitman's Sampler® celebrates it's 100th anniversary
2014Pangburn's® of Texas celebrates it's 100th anniversary
2014Lindt & Sprungli, manufacturer of premium quality chocolates worldwide, acquires Russell Stover Candies and Whitman's Candies.